Maritime workers protest sea pirates attacks for Rivers State

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria Rivers State Chapter don begin three day warning strike to protest di plenti sea pirates attacks wey dey happun along waterways for di state.

Dis one na after sea pirates attack three boats along Bille waterways over di weekend wia two workers and one passenger die.

Tori be say di casualties happun wen rescue boat go pick passengers wey trap for mangroves after di pirates offload dem for di creek carry di boat comot.

Joyful Loveday, one of di drivers for Bille route wey im younger brother follow die for di Saturday incident tell BBC Pidgin say im don lose five boats to pirates attack since last year and im want justice for im brother death and compensation for di losses im don suffer.

"Make goment put Security gunboats for di sea routes to protect us. Make dem also compensate those of us wey don lose pipo and property for dat Route too. E dey painful. All of us get family. How you go dey travel with fear? Make goment protect us for river as dem dey protect upland pipo too."

Dumo Warigbani na anoda driver for Bille unit of di Maritime Workers, im say many of dia drivers don lose boat because of pirates attack so make goment take di responsibility to provide security for di riverine communities too.

"No be only oil facilities dem go protect for dis river, make dem also protect di pipo too. Make dem put gunboat wey go provide security along all di sea routes."

Many goods and passengers hook for Bonny/Bille jetty as di Maritime Workers shut down operations. Some of dem like Sarah Georgewill say, "dis tin dey crazy. Since morning we come here, no boats! We dey stranded as we no get any oda choice of way to travel to Bonny. Make Goment complete di Bonny road project so we fit get alternative. Make dem secure di waterways."

Chairman Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter Jonah Jumbo tell BBC Pidgin say di three days warning strike na across di state, no jetty go work and dia demands na for Goment to bring Security gunboats to provide security for commercial passengers wey dey travel to riverine communities for di State.

"Di Action now na say we don withdraw our services so goment and security agencies go provide gunboats to protect passengers as dem dey travel to di riverine areas. We wan sidon with goment and security agencies to strategise how to stop dis sea pirates to dey operate.

We don see di effect of Operation Sting for di road and upland areas, we want see am too for di river over communities too."

Im add say di situation dey very serious as two policemen and one boat driver for Ngo, Andoni local goment area still dey di hands of kidnappers for over four weeks, so goment need to take action.

Rivers State Goment few months ago launch Operation Sting to support security agencies and improve security for di State.