Thirteen people, including eight students on their way to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), remain in captivity after being abducted by pirates along the Port Harcourt–Bille waterways in Rivers State on May 6, 2025.
The attack, which took place in Degema Local Government Area, has thrown families into distress and sparked outrage across the affected communities. The victims were aboard two passenger boats that were hijacked by the pirates, who seized everyone on board.
Dr. Osaki Miller, a native of Bille Kingdom and former Youth President of the community, revealed during a press briefing in Port Harcourt that the abductors have contacted the families and are demanding a ransom of N100 million.
“As we speak, the victims’ whereabouts remain unknown. The abductors have reached out and are asking for N100 million,” Miller said, expressing deep concern over the well-being of the victims, especially the students.
“These are just young students heading to write their exams. Their families are devastated, and no one in our community can afford such a huge amount. We are calling on the authorities to act swiftly,” he added.
Miller appealed to the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to intervene urgently. He noted that the community had already lodged complaints with security agencies and even held a protest, but there has been no concrete response.
Supporting Miller’s call, former Bille Community Chairman, Mr. Fibite Bibi, confirmed that one victim—a uniformed security officer—was released last Friday. However, the kidnappers continue to demand N100 million for the remaining captives.
“We don’t know if a ransom was paid for the security personnel, but they’re now insisting on N100 million for the rest. Our people simply don’t have that kind of money. We need the security agencies to step in and rescue them,” Bibi said.
In response, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, stated that security operations have been intensified.
“Efforts are ongoing to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators. We are working closely with other security agencies to resolve the situation,” she said.