JUST IN: Asari Dokubo’s Security Firm Rescues 19 Kidnapped Boat Passengers After 21 Days

Nineteen boat passengers who were kidnapped along the Port Harcourt-Bille waterways in Rivers State on May 6, 2025, have been rescued after 21 days in captivity. The successful operation was carried out by operatives of Royal Fouche Security Services Limited, a private security firm owned by Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari.

The victims included eight teenagers—seven girls and one boy—who were abducted on Isaka River in Okrika Local Government Area while traveling to Bille to sit for the ongoing West African Examination Council (WAEC) Senior Secondary Certificate Examination. Others were headed to Bonny Island and Bille community in Degema Local Government.

The kidnappers had initially demanded a ransom of N100 million. A breakthrough came when another victim, who had previously paid N10 million for his release, informed Dokubo-Asari of the incident. Acting swiftly, the Amanyanabo of the Source mobilised his security outfit to carry out the rescue mission.

Unfortunately, one of the victims, Corporal Salisu Ibrahim of the Nigerian Army, was taken separately by the abductors and remains missing.

Speaking to reporters before handing over the rescued victims to operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dokubo-Asari condemned the act of kidnapping as barbaric. He pledged that those behind the attack, many of whom fled the scene, would be tracked and brought to justice, similar to those responsible for the killing of entrepreneur Engr. Hope Moneymann Georgewill.

The traditional ruler issued a strong warning to sea pirates, stating that Rivers State would no longer be a safe zone for criminal elements operating on its waterways. He reaffirmed his commitment to securing the state’s maritime routes, citing ongoing collaboration between his security outfit, known as the ‘Amama Soldiers,’ and national security agencies. He pointed to the success achieved in restoring safety along the once-dangerous Emohua/Kalabari road as a model for future efforts.

Declaring the waterways safe for travel, Dokubo-Asari called on the public to share information that could help prevent future attacks and further secure the region’s riverine communities.