CALABAR — The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed that 17 passengers were abducted by suspected sea pirates on Thursday after gunmen hijacked a commercial boat operated by Sea Express Limited on the Calabar–Oron waterways.
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer DSP Igri Ewa said late Friday that the victims were taken to an unknown location and that security agencies had launched a search-and-rescue operation. “We are aware of the abduction and we are making efforts to rescue the victims. At the moment, no contact has been made by their abductors, but we are on our toes to ensure they are released,” Ewa stated.
The targeted vessel was reportedly ferrying about 30 passengers from Calabar, Cross River, to Oron, Akwa Ibom, when it was intercepted. A security source told Vanguard that 17 passengers were seized because the attackers’ getaway boat could not carry more. Families say they have been unable to reach loved ones, with phones switched off since the attack.
Among those who narrowly escaped, according to local accounts, was the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the 2023 Cross River election.
The incident underscores persistent maritime insecurity on Nigeria’s inland and coastal waterways, where sporadic pirate activity and boat hijackings have disrupted passenger and cargo movements. Authorities have not disclosed operational details, but marine police units and allied security formations are expected to intensify patrols along the Calabar channel and adjoining creeks while engaging local communities for intelligence to locate the hostages and apprehend the perpetrators.
