The operation was carried out in collaboration with Operation Delta Safe Sector 4 and the Marine Police as part of ongoing efforts to secure the maritime domain in the region.
According to a statement released on Thursday by the Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base Ibaka, Navy Captain Adebowale Omotosho, the incident involved a wooden passenger boat that was traveling from Henshaw Town Beach in Calabar to Utan Uyata, Ibaka on Tuesday.
The statement explained that the vessel was intercepted shortly after passing the Enwang community by five men in a speedboat who took control of the boat and the people on board, creating panic along the waterway.
Upon receiving intelligence reports about the incident, naval personnel quickly deployed patrol teams and set up a security blockade along the surrounding creek networks to prevent the suspects from escaping with the passengers.
Omotosho noted that the sustained security presence pressured the suspects to abandon the boat and the passengers at Asak-Ikang Creek on Wednesday, before fleeing the area towards Oron without harming those on board.
Following this development, a joint team of naval personnel and other security agencies conducted a search operation in the creek. During the search, 11 passengers who had been left behind were found and rescued by the operatives.
An additional 11 passengers who had reportedly escaped during the initial incident were later located and received at the Operation Delta Safe Sector 4 command post for debriefing. This brought the total number of passengers accounted for to 22 after the operation.
DailyVista247 gathered that all rescued passengers were taken to the Forward Operating Base Ibaka medical facility for evaluation and first aid. After medical checks and stabilization, they were escorted back to Calabar together with the recovered boat, with the operation completed without any ransom payment.
Reacting to the rescue, the Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Chiedozie Okehie, restated the commitment of the Navy to maritime safety in the area. He said the service will continue to maintain patrols, strengthen collaboration with other security agencies, and rely on timely intelligence to improve safety on the waterways.
He also assured residents and travelers that the Nigerian Navy remains focused on protecting legitimate activities and ensuring the safety of citizens who use the nation's waterways for business and transportation.
The Navy urged members of the public to provide timely information to security agencies to enable prompt response to security threats along the waterways in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
