Reps to IGP: Use Gunboats, End Repeated Piracy in Rivers Waterways
The House of Representatives has sounded the alarm over the rising wave of insecurity along Nigeria’s waterways, following the abduction of 18 boat passengers by sea pirates in Rivers State.
During plenary on Tuesday, the lawmakers unanimously adopted a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Rep. Hart Cyril Godwin, who represents Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency. The motion called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately deploy gunboats to rescue the kidnapped victims and restore confidence in maritime travel across the Niger Delta.
According to Rep. Godwin, the victims—who included a pregnant woman, children, and traders transporting goods worth millions of naira—were attacked on May 6, 2025, while traveling between Bille and Bonny Kingdoms, two riverine communities in Rivers State heavily reliant on waterways for transport and commerce.
“This is a grave threat to the economic lifeline and physical safety of my constituents and many others who depend on these routes daily,” Godwin told his colleagues.
The lawmaker recalled a similar attack on March 26 in the same region, during which six passengers were abducted and one victim was killed after a ransom was paid—an indication of deteriorating security and weak deterrence along the nation’s coastal zones.
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“This is no longer an isolated security breach—it’s an ongoing assault on life and livelihoods in riverine Nigeria. If left unchecked, these attacks will continue to cripple local economies and erode public trust in our maritime law enforcement capabilities,” he said.
In response, the House passed several resolutions:
It called for the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted passengers.
It urged the Inspector-General of Police to deploy the newly acquired gunboats and establish permanent houseboat outposts in vulnerable marine corridors.
It asked the Nigerian Army’s Operation Delta Safe to intensify its surveillance and response efforts to combat piracy and criminality in the region.
It mandated the House Committees on Navy and Police Affairs to oversee implementation and report back within four weeks.
The lawmakers stressed that securing Nigeria’s maritime zones—particularly in the oil-rich and trade-dependent Niger Delta—is not just a matter of law enforcement but of national economic stability.
Rep. Godwin concluded by warning that without swift and coordinated action, Nigeria risks further deterioration of safety on its inland and coastal waterways, with dire consequences for transport, commerce, and national cohesion.
By PRNigeria
