Passengers Missing As Gunmen Attack Speed Boat In Cross River

By Doris Israel Ijeoma

Many passengers were reported missing as the Nigerian police rescued a Reverend Sister among several other passengers who were robbed and kidnapped by sea pirates in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

The unidentified gunmen attacked the speedboat going to Oron in Akwa Ibom State from Calabar, robbed and kidnapped its passengers, according to Tracknews

The incident happened a few minutes after the victims left the jetty in Calabar.

According to a 30-second video, a female passenger cried for help, and called on security agencies to come to their rescue.

The female victim who did not show her face in the video said that the pirates kidnapped all the men in the boat while they (females) were left in the middle of the water where they did not know.

The victim said, “Please if you guys are seeing this video on my status, we need help, just raised an alarm. I am going for a wedding in Akwa Ibom when we were robbed. The gunmen came and took all the men (male passengers) including the boat driver.

“We are just here with a Reverend Sister as well as other ladies, please we need help , we are across the sea, we are at the first branch from the pickup point (probably the Jetty),” the victim said.

The Cross River State Police Public Relations Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, said that they (the victims) had been rescued.

However, the police spokesperson did not specify the number of persons who were rescued, but she said that there was swift reaction from both the Nigerian Navy and Marine Police who gave the pirates a hot chase, forcing them to abandon their victims.

Also, a security source confirmed that the affected boat and its passengers were rescued as the kidnappers took off when they sighted the Nigerian Navy gunboats.

The source however revealed that two of the affected persons were still missing but maintained that they would be rescued because they were giving the pirates a hot chase.