Nigerian Navy Rescues 22 Passengers From Hijacked Boat In Akwa Ibom

Nigerian Navy Rescues 22 Passengers From Hijacked Boat in Akwa Ibom The Nigerian Navy has rescued 22 passengers after armed sea robbers hijacked their wooden passenger boat along the Calabar Oron–Ibaka waterway in Akwa Ibom State. The rescue operation was carried out on August 11, 2026, by personnel of the Navy’s Forward Operating Base FOB Ibaka, working with Operation Delta Safe Sector 4 and the Marine Police. According to Navy spokesman Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the passenger boat was travelling from Henshaw Town Beach in Calabar, Cross River State, to Utan Uyata in Ibaka, Akwa Ibom, when it was intercepted by armed sea robbers shortly after passing Enwang Community. The attackers reportedly took control of the vessel and abducted the passengers, prompting a security response along the waterway. Following the attack, naval personnel from FOB Ibaka, supported by Operation Delta Safe and the Marine Police, moved to intercept the hijacked vessel.

The operation resulted in the safe rescue of all 22 passengers and the recovery of the hijacked wooden boat. The successful intervention adds to recent Nigerian Navy operations against sea robbery along the waterways of Akwa Ibom and the wider Niger Delta region. In March, the Navy also rescued 16 passengers and recovered a vessel following a suspected sea-robbery attempt along the Ibaka Calabar route. The latest incident highlights continuing security concerns for passengers and commercial operators using the waterways connecting Cross River and Akwa Ibom. The Calabar Oron–Ibaka route is an important maritime corridor for communities that depend heavily on passenger boats for transportation, making security patrols critical to protecting travellers and boat operators.

The Navy has continued to intensify patrols and operations in the region as part of efforts to tackle piracy, sea robbery and other maritime crimes.