Gunmen attack Agip tugboat, abduct captain in Bayelsa

Gunmen, suspected to be pirates, have attacked a tugboat belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company along Bayelsa State waterways.

It was learnt that the tugboat was conveying unspecified items to the Agip Brass terminal in Brass Local Government Area on Saturday when it was waylaid.

The incident was said to have occurred at about 10am.

The Captain of the tugboat identified as Famous Abrakata was reportedly abducted and whisked away to an unknown place by the hoodlums.

The hoodlums were said to have double-crossed the tugboat, which was coming from Onne in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at an area called Juju Fish Town along Nembe-Brass waterways.

A security source who did not want his name mentioned said the bandits dispossessed their victims of their valuables including cash worth N150,000.

He said, “The pirates again attacked a tugboat which was also taking some items to Brass for Agip. In the process, they abducted the captain of the tugboat. It happened at Juju fishing settlement.

“The name of the tugboat is MV Graceland. It was coming from Onne in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and heading for Brass. So, the captain of the tugboat was abducted.

“The captain’s name is Famous Abrakata. They dispossessed the crew member of their money and other valuables. They collected N150,000.”

The incident occurred a day after pirates at separate incidents killed four policemen and abducted six others along the same Nembe-Brass route.