FISHERMEN in Oyorokoto community in Andoni Local Council of Rivers State have decried insecurity in the waterways despite the Federal Government's amnesty programme.

The fishermen, in a letter signed by their Chairman, Mr. Owiv Lawrence, said that despite the expected safety following the amnesty offer to Niger Delta militants, sea pirates still attack them in the council.


Lawrence alleged that the situation has led to the drowning of children and loss of goods worth millions of naira.

The fishermen, in the letter, which was also sent to the State Governor Chibuike Amaechi, demanded for the deployment of gun boats for permanent security patrol in the waterways, especially in Andoni Council.

The letter reads in part: "May we inform you that within the past seven months, there were armed robbery attacks in the Andoni waterways for over three times. The first one occurred in April where items and cash worth millions of naira were carted away by the hoodlums. The second and third which happened in June and October respectively, led to the drowning of some children while many persons were hospitalised."

While expressing confidence that the Federal Government's grant of amnesty to the militants in the region would restore sanity and bring the desired development, the fishermen called on the state government to deploy security operatives to the area for steady surveillance of the Oyorokoto and the entire Andoni waterways.

They further demanded for provisions of soft loans to victims of the attacks to enable them start up again.