Calabar-Oron Waterways: Police confirm abduction, rescue operations for 15 passengers

The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of 15 passengers by gunmen on the Calabar-Oron waterway on Friday.

Its Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday.

Eitokpah said the command is collaborating with the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and the Nigerian Navy for the safe rescue of the victims.

“The command is collaborating closely with the Akwa Ibom State Police Command as well as the Nigerian Navy in coordinated search-and-rescue operations.

“As we speak, tactical operations to secure the safe recovery of the victims and the arrest of the perpetrators are ongoing,” Eitokpah stated.

A Naval officer had confirmed that gunmen ambushed the ferry in which the passengers were traveling in and took them away to an unknown destination.

The passenger ferry, which loaded from Calabar, Cross River, was traveling to Oron in Akwa Ibom

The exact number of those abducted could not be immediately ascertained, but many were reportedly students en route to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Akwa Ibom State.

The incident has heightened fears over the safety of waterways in the region, particularly with candidates travelling for national examinations.

Search and rescue efforts by security agencies are continuing, even as stakeholders call for enhanced security on the Calabar-Oron route to prevent recurrence.