The Police Command in Rivers have arrested one Daniel George, suspected to be a pirate, over his alleged involvement in the attack on a passenger boat in Bonny waterways.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the arrest on Friday in Port Harcourt, said the attack resulted in the death of one passenger.
“George, an indigene of Asarama community in Andoni Local Government Area, who has been on our wanted list, has been arrested.
“The suspect is helping us in getting information to enable the police to go after the other gang members,” he said.
The police spokesman said a state-wide manhunt had been declared to apprehend the fleeing gang members and bring them to justice.
“The suspects are members of a gang of pirates that has been terrorising the Bonny River,” Omoni said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the attack happened in the early hours of Thursday, with many of the passengers aboard the boat sustaining injuries.
A fisherman resident in Bonny, who gave his name simply as Tamuno, said some of the passengers jumped into the river to escape being robbed of their belongings during the attack.
“After the attack, the driver of the pirates’ boat accidentally fell into the river as they were fleeing, and was abandoned by his colleagues.
“But one of the passengers, who escaped the attack, later identified the driver of the pirate boat after he was pulled out from the river by people,” he said. (NAN)