About 12 persons travelling from Calabar to Oron have been abducted by kidnappers along the Calabar waterways in Cross River State.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Irene Ugbo, stated this during a telephone chat with our Correspondent in Calabar on Friday.
She stated that the abduction of 12 passengers occurred while the victims boarded a boat from Calabar in Cross River State to Oron in Akwa Ibom State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the travellers boarded the “Heavenly Grace” boat in Calabar last weekend and were bound for Akwa Ibom State.
A source told LEADERSHIP that hours into the journey, the boat was overtaken by gunmen who forced the crew to stop and ordered all passengers out from the boat into their own boat and zoomed off to unknown destination.
Apart from taking the passengers hostage, the kidnappers transferred all the goods in the passengers’ boat to their own and zoomed off, leaving the empty boat to float on the waters.
The PPRO, however, averred that kidnapping on the waters has been rare in recent times, stressing that the Police Command has launched an investigation into the latest incident.
SP Ugbo said, ” ecurity has increased along the Calabar estuary, and the police and sister agencies, including the Navy, have come together to ensure safety.”
“Nothing of such has happened lately and we are working to ensure the speedy release of the 12 abducted passengers,” the PPRO added.
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