RIVERS: Survivors Narrate How Military Airstrikes Hit Passenger Boat

Occupants of a local wooden cargo boat sailing with goods from Port Harcourt to Bonny in Rivers State have narrated how a suspected military aircraft opened fire on their boat.

They were said to be moving foodstuffs and drinks from Port Harcourt to Bonny when the military gunship attacked their boat around Dutch Island.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the boat was conveying the pilot and his deckhands responsible for loading and unloading the boat at both the Port Harcourt and Bonny ends.

The survivors told journalists that the attack was carried out by military personnel, but that they were unsure if the aircraft belongs to the Army, Navy or Airforce.

However, reports said the officer-in-charge of the Marine Police in Bonny, SP Solomon Adeniyi, confirmed that the boat was attacked by a military aircraft.

One of the survivors, Awal Rufai, who spoke from a medical facility in Okrika, said there were about five of them in the boat.

He said the incident happened between 1:30PM and 2:00 PM on Thursday along the Bonny River at Dutch Island in Okrika Local Government Area of the state.

He said, “Normally, we leave Port Harcourt by 10am. On our way coming back, getting to Dutch Island, our engine stopped. We called for a new engine, a new engine was sent to us and we received it at 1pm.

“Between 1:30 and 2pm, a chopper was seen around that area, it came around the first time, went back, came back again the second time and left. The third time it came around, it dropped a rope from the chopper and a personnel was seen coming down from the chopper into the boat and later went back up, next thing they opened fire and started shooting at us.”

Rufai confirmed that there was no loss of life, but that he and another occupant, one Paul Jacob, sustained gunshot injuries.

Jacob, who also spoke to newsmen from the medical facility where he is receiving treatment, said he suspects the military officers in the helicopter mistook them for pirates conveying illegal petroleum products.

He said he was busy attending to the local boat’s engine which was malfunctioning when the occupants of the helicopter opened fire on them.

“As we were coming after loading the boat – we have starting coming – so, we got to the open river, the next thing we observed was that our engine got bad. So, we called back to the office for replacement of our engine which they were bringing. While we were waiting the water was floating the boat on the sea. As they brought the engine, we exchanged and started driving towards our destination. In the course of that, there was failure in the pump part of the engine.

“So, the driver decided to come and check on me and asked what I was doing with the pumping machine and why I have not switched it on. As he come close to check he found out that I was working on it. So, he decided to help me out. The next thing was a gunshot, gbua! Then he laid in the boat but I did not understand that it was a gunshot. So, I insisted on the pumping machine but before I knew it, I was on the ground with my two legs. Then, I looked for a way to come out of the boat and entered another boat going to Bonny. Then the other of my friend had to help to cut the rope so that the boat can continue the movement to Bonny.”

When contacted to speak on the matter, spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, said he was yet to receive a report on the issue.

The spokesperson of the 6 Division Nigeria Army, Charles Ekeocha, and his Nigerian Airforce counterpart are yet to respond to request for comments.