The Nigerian Navy has rescued 22 passengers following the hijacking of a wooden passenger boat by suspected sea robbers along the Calabar-Oron-Ibaka waterway.
The Director Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement, saying the operation was conducted by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka in collaboration with Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) Sector 4 and the Marine Police.
According to him, the incident occurred on August 11, 2026, when the passenger boat, travelling from Henshaw Town Beach in Calabar to Utan Uyata, Ibaka, was intercepted by armed sea robbers shortly after passing Enwang Community.
Folorunsho said, “The criminals hijacked the vessel and abducted the passengers, prompting personnel of FOB Ibaka and collaborating security agencies to launch a coordinated search and rescue operation.
He said, “The operation led to the recovery of the hijacked boat and the rescue of 11 victims who had been abandoned by the suspected criminals at Asak-Ikang Creek.
“A further 11 passengers who had earlier escaped during the attack were subsequently located and accounted for at the OPDS Sector 4 command post,” he said, bringing the total number of rescued and accounted-for passengers to 22.
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The Director said all the rescued passengers were taken to the FOB Ibaka Sickbay for medical assessment and first aid before arrangements were made for their safe return to Calabar alongside the recovered boat.
He stressed that no ransom was paid for the release of the victims.
The Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Chidozie Okehie, reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to sustaining robust maritime security operations, strengthening inter-agency collaboration and leveraging timely intelligence to deny criminal elements freedom of action along the nation’s waterways.
Okehie said: “The successful rescue demonstrated the Navy’s determination to protect lives, safeguard legitimate maritime activities and maintain a secure maritime environment.”
He added that the Nigerian Navy would continue to work with sister security agencies and other stakeholders to counter sea robbery, kidnapping and other forms of maritime criminality across the country’s waterways.
