By John Kenneth
The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of 15 passengers aboard a Sea Express boat travelling from Calabar to Oron on Friday.
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, 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.
This confirmation corroborated Vanguard’s earlier report that no fewer than 20 passengers believed to include students heading to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), were kidnapped by sea pirates along the Calabar waterways on Friday.
Recall that a Naval officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had earlier told Vanguard that gunmen ambushed the passenger ferry on the waterway and whisked away the passengers at gunpoint.
The exact number of those abducted could not be immediately ascertained, but many were reportedly students en route to sit for the UTME 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.Ends
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