The six indigenes of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, who were abducted by armed sea pirates at sea, have finally regained freedom 12 days after and on payment of N28 million ransom, The Nation learnt.

The victims were kidnapped at about 9am on 4 April, 2025 near the New Calabar River, on their way to Port Harcourt from Bille. They are made up of a female and five males.

Some of them who spoke to The Nation in Port Harcourt from the hospital where they were admitted for treatment, rendered tales of torture, stealing, brutality, hunger and starvation, throughout their days in the Satan den.

They alleged that the kidnappers said they were ijaw boys from Bayelsa who threatened that they were sent to kidnap and kill the Bille people for aiding the stopping of kpofire (bunkery) activities in the region.

“They blindfolded us, took us into a thick mangrove, tortured us, collected our phones, searched our bank alerts and withdrew all the money in our accounts.

“They demanded for N60 million ransom but our people negotiated it down to N28 million, which was what was paid before we were released. We spent 12 days in the kidnappers’ den.

“For the 12 days we spent, there was no food or water given to us; what they brought to us twice was raw garri, nothing to drink it with, we survived by God’s grace,” they said.

They appealed to the government to provide gunboats and security presence at least every 200 metres on Bille waterways, stressing that their lives was constantly threatened as the water was no longer safe for them to travel on.

They also demanded investigation into the alleged claim of the hoodlums of being sent after Bille indigenes.

“Government should send in gunboats in all the creeks. They should not be on the ocean alone. They should come to our rescue or allow and empower community boys to carry out local security on the waterways.

“Three years ago, when the river was calm and free from pirate attacks it was because community policing was in place before government bound them from operations. Now our lives are in danger and being threatened because there’s no security on our waterways.

“The government should Investigate who sent them, where are they from? Government should help the Bille people we are dying. Today we came back alive, the next kidnapped victims may not come back alive,” they said.

“The river is too rough for people to travel when there are no government security presence. Every 200 meters there should be gunboat or military personnel stationed.

“If the government is unable to secure the river, they should give Bille security power to secure the river so it can be safe for us to travel on.” they said.