Police begin rescue operation for 15 abducted on Calabar–Oron waterway

Coordinated search-and-rescue and tactical operations are ongoing to ensure the safe recovery of 15 passengers abducted by gunmen on the Calabar–Oron waterway on Friday.

The spokesperson for the Cross River Police Command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

“The command is working in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom Command and the Navy.

“Coordinated search-and-rescue and tactical operations are currently ongoing to ensure the safe recovery of the victims and the swift apprehension of the perpetrators,” he said.

A naval officer, who pleaded anonymity, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that gunmen ambushed the ferry in which the passengers were travelling.

The passenger ferry, which departed from Calabar, Cross River State, was travelling to Oron in Akwa Ibom State.

The Calabar–Oron waterway is a vital inland maritime corridor linking Calabar in Cross River State to Oron in Akwa Ibom State that serves as a key alternative route for passengers and goods across the lower reaches of the Cross River and its creeks.

In recent years, however, the waterway has gained notoriety for piracy, kidnapping and armed attacks on passenger ferries, exacerbated by the complex network of creeks and mangroves that provide cover for gunmen.

NAN

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]