Seventeen passengers travelling by boat from Oron in Akwa Ibom State to Calabar, Cross River State, have been abducted by pirates.
The Cross River State Police Command confirmed the incident on Saturday, saying the attack occurred on Thursday. Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, said efforts were underway to rescue the victims.
According to him, a police officer from Akwa Ibom and a prominent politician in Cross River narrowly escaped the abduction.
One survivor told reporters that the pirates intercepted the boat minutes after departure from Oron. “They stopped us, moved some passengers into their own boat, and left once it was filled,” the passenger recounted.
The Oron–Calabar waterways have become notorious for such attacks. In April, 20 passengers were similarly abducted, while earlier incidents claimed lives and disrupted trade across coastal communities.
Residents say persistent piracy has crippled fishing and transport businesses, pushing up food prices in Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and the House of Representatives have both appealed to the Nigerian Army to establish a battalion in the Oron axis to curb the rising cases of piracy and kidnapping.
Despite these calls, attacks continue to endanger lives and livelihoods across the region’s waterways.
