It was like a scene straight out of a Netflix thriller: armed men in speedboats closing in on a passenger boat under the moonlit Calabar–Cameroon waterways. But on Jan 12, 2026, the real-life showdown ended with Nigerian troops swooping in to rescue 18 passengers from suspected sea pirates. 🚤💥
The attack unfolded near Kombo, a fishing port within Cameroonian waters, when armed men in two speedboats and a wooden vessel intercepted a commercial passenger boat bound for Cameroon. According to the Nigerian Army’s 13 Brigade, a swift distress call prompted an immediate military response.
“The pirates abandoned the victims and fled into the surrounding creeks. All the passengers were rescued unharmed,” said Semi Sokoya, assistant director of public relations at the brigade HQ.
Troops deployed from Ikang gave chase, engaging the attackers in a brief exchange of gunfire that ended with one of the pirates’ speedboats capsizing. Brigadier-General Patrick Alimikhena, Commander of the 13 Brigade, praised the operation’s “courage, professionalism and commitment to securing lives and waterways.”
Looking ahead, the brigade plans to maintain a dominant presence in its area of responsibility and has called on residents to share timely information, stressing that community cooperation is vital for lasting peace in Cross River State.
This rescue comes amid a surge in maritime abductions in southern Nigeria. In April 2025, pirates kidnapped 20 passengers traveling from Oron in Akwa Ibom State to Cross River State, and in September 2025 another 17 passengers were seized. These incidents underscore the urgent need for reinforced security along the riverine and coastal routes linking Cross River, Akwa Ibom and neighboring Cameroon.
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Nigerian troops rescue 18 passengers attacked by suspected pirates
cgtn.com
