Police Escort Flee As Pirates Attack, Kidnap Two VIP In Rivers. PHOTOS

Some pirates, operating along Degema waterways in Degema Local Government Areas of Rivers State, have reportedly kidnapped two civilians said to be Very Important Personalities [VIPs].
According to a Punch Newspapers report, three of the four police escorts attached to the VIPs jumped into the water and swam to safety when the pirates, who were in two boats, shot at the boat they were in.

The fourth policeman, however, could not swim and was beaten and dumped in the river, while his gun was taken away.

Quoting a security source, the paper said apart from the gun that was taken away by the hoodlums, three other AK-47 rifles belonging to the police got missing in the sea.
It was learnt that the policemen were from the Special Protective Unit in Benin, Edo State while the incident occurred between Bakana and Degema communities in Rivers State.

The pirates, according to the source left with one rifle and two civilians after they were sure that nobody was present within the scene to attack them.

“The pirates were about 12 in number and they opened fire as soon as they got close to the police from an unexpected angle. The policemen returned fire for fire immediately. But the boat driver abandoned the boat and jumped into the river.
“An inspector and two sergeants also jumped into the river and swam to safety, leaving another sergeant behind. The sergeant was beaten and later dumped in the river,” the security source added.

Our correspondent gathered that the policemen could not fight because the driver of the boat conveying the policemen and the two VIPs abandoned the vehicle and jumped into the river.

It was learnt that the police had employed sea divers within the place the incident happened to help in finding the missing rifles with their serial numbers as 52-2404262, 1999 AGC 0231, 52-2518603 and 1999AGB1245.

However, efforts to reach the State Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, to confirm the incident was not successful as several calls to his mobile phone were not answered.