Nigeria: Suspected pirates kidnap 12 persons from passenger riverboat in Rivers State Feb. 23

Event

Unidentified assailants boarded a riverboat, kidnapping its 11 passengers and the vessel's skipper, near Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Feb. 23. The vessel was reportedly traveling from the Bonny-Bille Jetty in central Port Harcourt to Bonny Island at the time of the incident. It remains unclear precisely where along the route the abduction took place. The nationality of the victims is currently unknown, but it is likely that they are Nigerian citizens. There have as yet been no reports of any ransom demand.

The incident underscores the threat of piracy and abduction in Nigeria. Efforts by Nigerian officials to curtail such criminal activities have largely failed.