As pirates take over the lucrative Port Harcourt/Bonny Island waterway, scaring away travellers to the oil and gas terminal island, the king, chiefs, elders, council chairman, oil company executives and security agencies have mapped out plans to fight back.
Now, boats must move in convoys with security escorts between the Rivers State capital and the oil terminal with mounted walkie-talkie communication gadgets to alert security agencies on standby.
As if suspecting that most of boat operators were insiders in the attacks, the security strategy requires a registration of all boat operators and certification of state of health of every boat.
These were highlights of an emergency security meeting held on the island at the request of the king, the Amanyanabo of Ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple who said he was worried by persistent and wicked attacks by dare-devil sea pirates and the consequent effect on indigenes and visitors to the island.
It was with all political elites and the entire people of Bonny with full presence of security operatives, multinational oil and gas companies. Pouring glowing appreciation of the action by the king, the summiteers demanded closing of ranks by chiefs and elders in the kingdom to give the youths a new orientation and for companies to provide jobs for the youths.
A communiqué issued at the end of the summit demanded that boat owners/operators in Bonny must take responsibility of ensuring that their boats movement were scheduled to move in large convoys.
“The Joint Task Force, Navy, Civil Defence, Directorate of State Security and Police should organise themselves to provide escort for these convoys of boats in both directions. The security agencies, and indeed the general public, should intensify information gathering that the security agencies can concert to intelligence to use in the prevention of criminal activities in Bonny and environs.”
The summit also agreed that the federal and state governments should provide adequate logistics support to the security agencies. “The Federal Government, the State Government, the Local Government and the multinational companies operating in Bonny should in a matter of necessity procure at least four gunboats with adequate logistics support for the Bonny-Port Harcourt route. j) The IOCs in Bonny agreed to support the Kingdom in enhancing sustained security both on land and water.”
The chiefs cried out for resumption of action on a land road alternative (Bonny-Bodo Road) to stop sea pirates. The king directed an action committee of security experts and agencies to be constituted to draw up concrete action plans to achieve the objective of a better-secured Bonny Kingdom and environs. “To this end, the following is to be effected immediately; Recertification of all passenger boats plying the Bonny – Port Harcourt route.
Database must be established for boat operators and owners, which include all drivers of such passenger boats plying the Bonny-Port Harcourt route. All boat operators must abide by the sea route approved by the security agencies; and the Local and State Government should provide ferry boats to ply the Bonny-Port Harcourt waterways for enhanced security.”
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