At least 20 passengers travelling from Akwa Ibom to Cross River by boat were abducted by gunmen suspected to be pirates, highlighting renewed insecurity along the Oron-Calabar waterway.
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Gunmen suspected to be pirates have abducted 20 passengers travelling by boat from Oron in Akwa Ibom State to Cross River. The incident occurred on April 18 and involved a vessel operated by Akwa Cross Boat Management Ltd.
“The assailants, numbering about 24 and operating in three speedboats, attempted to overpower our officers in a gun duel,” Akwa Ibom police spokesperson Timfon John said of a prior incident in the same region.
While Ms John confirmed the latest abduction, her Cross River counterpart, Irene Ugbo, denied it occurred in her state, calling the report “very false.”
The attack underscores growing insecurity in Nigeria’s south-south, where dilapidated roads push travellers onto vulnerable waterways.
Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno has previously requested a military battalion in the Oron axis to address rampant kidnappings.
“We are no longer safe at sea,” a boat owner told Punch, lamenting rising attacks and economic strain from piracy.