The safety of Bayelsa State waterways and other coastal lines in the Niger Delta region has continued to be a matter of concern for the people living and doing businesses in the areas.
Penultimate Tuesday’s attack on a boat conveying market women to Southern Ijaw Local Government along the Lobia/Foropa waterways where four women were abducted to the nearby bush by gunmen suspected to be sea pirates has raised further concern about the safety of the Niger Delta waterways.
The situation is not only prevalent in Bayelsa State alone, but all the states in Niger Delta region.
On Tuesday evening, gunmen suspected to be sea pirates abducted 12 boat passengers and their driver along the Isaka waterways in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. The victims were en route to Bille Town in the Degema Local Government Area.
On Good Friday, April 18, 2025, about 20 passengers moving from Oron to Calabar, Akwa Ibom State, were also abducted at the waterways. They are yet to be released.
Earlier, on April 15, surveillance contract workers in Southern Ijaw were ambushed. One of the workers, Mr Ekerete Odoh, an indigene of Igbomotoru 1 community in Southern Ijaw LGA, was killed, while others sustained injuries.
Also in April, gunmen suspected to be militants ambushed the patrol team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at Igbomotoru community, Southern Ijaw LGA, killing a personnel identified as CAI Victor Ofem Ibang and injuring three others.
Penultimate Tuesday, four market women were abducted at Lobia/Foropa waterways. A community source told Daily Trust that the incident happened a few minutes after their boat left the Swali waterfront in Yenagoa, the state capital, where it loaded the passengers.
He said about 12 persons who were in the boat were dispossessed of their valuables and money, while the criminals abducted four women and took them into the bush.
Lawmaker, Ijaw youths condemn pirate attacks in Bayelsa
The member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency 4 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Human Rights, Hon. Selekaye Victor-Ben, has condemned the rising cases of sea pirate attacks and abduction of the four market women along the Lobia/Foropa waterways in his constituency.
He described the abduction of the four women as a cowardly attack on innocent citizens.
“This is a cowardly attack on innocent citizens, who were simply trying to earn their livelihoods. It is not only an affront to our shared humanity but also a grave threat to the peace and economic well-being of our constituency and the entire state.
“I vehemently condemn this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms and stand in solidarity with the families of the victims during this agonising time,” he stated.
He called on the Bayelsa State Government and all relevant security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police, to act swiftly and decisively to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted women.
“It is imperative that no stone is left unturned in apprehending these criminal elements and bringing them to justice.
“The safety and security of our waterways are paramount, and urgent steps must be taken to enhance surveillance and patrols to prevent future occurrences of such heinous crimes.
“The people of Southern Ijaw deserve to traverse our waterways without fear of molestation or attack.
“I implore the state government to prioritise the security of our maritime environment and to implement sustainable measures that will guarantee the safety of all those who depend on these routes for their daily sustenance.
“We must collectively work together to ensure that our waterways are safe havens for commerce and transportation, and that such acts of terror are eradicated from our communities,” Victor-Ben said.
Also, the leaders of Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC) in Bassan clan, Southern Ijaw Local Government have demanded action for safe waterways in the state, calling on government and other authorities to put necessary security measures on the ground.
They said the persistent threat of kidnapping and insecurity in the waterways had reached alarming proportions, disrupting economic activities and instilling fear in the hearts of residents and travelers alike.
They said: “We are compelled to call upon the local government council and the Bayelsa State Government to take immediate and decisive action to ensure the safety and security of our waterways.
“According to source, a commercial boat carrying 15 passengers was ambushed by suspected sea pirates on Tuesday along the Bassan clan, precisely at the Lobia-Foropa axis resulting in the abduction of about four women traders named Comfort, Ebi, Ekwere and Joy Arrow.
“The Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, rich in aquatic resources and strategically located along the Niger Delta waterways, has been plagued by kidnapping, armed robbery, and other forms of insecurity.
“These criminal activities not only endanger lives but also undermine the economic livelihoods of communities dependent on fishing, trading, and water transportation. The situation demands urgent attention and a comprehensive approach to restore safety and confidence in our waterways.
“We demand enhanced security presence, increase in the deployment of waterways security workers and equipping them to respond effectively to kidnapping and other security threats.
“Engagement of local communities, traditional leaders, and stakeholders to gather intelligence, build trust, and foster cooperation in combating insecurity.
Provision of the necessary equipment needed by the Southern Ijaw waterways security, including patrol boats, communication devices, and logistical support, to enable them to carry out their duties effectively.
Security expert seeks involvement of local vigilante group
A security expert and national commander, Marine Safety and Surveillance, Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Dr Kile Silky Torughedi, while reacting to the insecurity in the waterways in Niger Delta region, urged government to involve local vigilante groups in securing the coastlines, as they know the terrain better.
He said if groups like the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, which have their operatives at every locality, are involved to jointly patrol the waterways alongside the conventional security operatives, they will achieve success in tackling the issue of pirate attacks and other insecurity in the waterways.
He said: “The issues in Bayelsa State and other Niger Delta states are peculiar. You know our water terrain is difficult, while the conventional security agencies, including police, NSCDC, Nigerian Navy and the rest, may be having challenges of being familiar with the creeks, our local operatives, who are members of the communities can lead them to success.
“If VGN is involved, that means that criminal elements in the waterways would not have where to hide, because as local people, we know the nooks and crannies of the coastlines, and we can give credible intelligence that can lead to breakthrough.”
Arrests and breakthrough
In March, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad said its operatives arrested 17 suspected sea pirates linked to a recent attack on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta.
The corps spokesman, Afolabi Babawale, who disclosed this in a statement, said the suspects were also responsible for the murder of Assistant Superintendent Umar Aliyu.
He said members of a high-profile syndicate of 17 sea pirates were arrested by his men in synergy with other sister security agencies, following intelligence-based coordinated operations at Tonogbe, Ekeremo LGA of Bayelsa State on March 6, 2025.
Police unaware of recent pirate attack in Bayelsa
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Police Command has said the abduction of four women at Lobia/Foropa community waterway was not reported to it.
The police spokesman in Bayelsa State, DSP Musa Muhammad, told Daily Trust that the police were yet to receive any information about the incident.
