Pirates Demand N100m Ransom for WASSCE Candidates in Rivers State

Pirates who kidnapped 13 passengers, including eight students heading to write their WASSCE exams, are demanding a N100 million ransom for their release.

The victims were seized on May 6 along the Port Harcourt–Bille waterways in Degema, Rivers State. The gunmen hijacked two boats, sparking fear and outrage in the communities.

Dr Osaki Miller, a community leader from Bille, said the kidnappers have contacted the families. “We still don’t know where the victims are. The demand is outrageous. These are students simply on their way to sit exams. Their families are in deep distress,” he told reporters.

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He urged the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), to intervene urgently.

Former community chairman, Fibite Bibi, confirmed that one kidnapped security officer was released last Friday. “They let him go, but now they want N100 million for the rest. Where are we supposed to get that?” he asked, appealing to security forces to act swiftly.

Rivers State Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said efforts to rescue the hostages and arrest the kidnappers have been intensified, in coordination with other security agencies.