By Kofa Kingsley, Ughelli
Businessmen and women plying their trade along river Ramos creek, a tributary of river Forcados have raised alarm over incessant attacks by sea pirates who pepertrate crime and go unchallenged despite presence of Nigeria Army.
A business man identified as Mr. Brown Apele speaking to newsmen at Ogriagbene community in Bomadi Council Area of Delta State said, in the month of August himself and other traders were attacked three times , huge amount of money ,valueables were taken from them between Ebeberegbene and Ekogbene communities in the Burutu Local Government axis of river Ramos.
Apele lamented that just on the 3rd of September some few kilometers from Ogriagbene community they were attacked around 4;20pm by masked sea pirates and he added that the pirates dismantled the fuel line of their outdoor engine and left them drifting for hours before help came their way.
Also speaking, Mrs.Onome Kevwe a dealer in garri said, she has been attacked six times this year and have lost more than 700,000 naira to the pirates who she said have been operating unchanged despite heavy presence of military gunboat safeguard ing oil barges.
Mrs Kevwe called on the Delta State Government to secure the lives of it’s citizens lamenting that the government was swift in collecting revenue from traders but leave them to their fate to protect their lives.
She said, despite the presence of the Nigeria Army and other security agents in the river Ramos ,she noted that these sea pirates perpetrate their crime unchallenged because only what matters to the Federal Government was to ensure the safe transport of it’s crude to Agge sea side community for exportation, Kevwe said.
