Eight fishermen have been kidnapped by sea pirates in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom, the transitional chairman of Ibeno local government area, Chief Williams Mkpah, said yesterday.
Six of them were abducted on Thursday and two on Friday morning in the Ibeno creeks, Mkpah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
“As I am speaking sea pirates is intensifying in the Ibeno community and they want to ensure that that they stop fishermen from going to sea for fishing,” he said.
Mkpah said that the sea pirates were demanding millions of naira as ransom from the fishermen before releasing them.
He explained that the fishermen were made to pay levies by the sea pirates before they go for fishing in the area.
He alleged that “they have informants in our communities, who will inform them of the take off of a particular fisherman and possible routes where they are going for fishing.