Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued 18 passengers, including two infants, after they were abducted by suspected sea pirates along the Nigeria–Cameroon maritime border, the military said on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday when a passenger boat travelling from Nigeria to Cameroon was intercepted near the Kombo fishing port on the Cameroonian coast, according to an army statement. The attackers approached the vessel using two speedboats and a wooden canoe before seizing the passengers.
Soldiers of the army’s 13 Brigade, stationed at the Forward Operating Base in Ikang, Cross River State, received a distress alert and pursued the pirates into the waterways. A gun battle followed, during which one of the pirates’ speedboats capsized.
Under military pressure, the attackers abandoned the captives and fled into nearby creeks and forested areas. All 18 passengers were recovered unharmed, the army said.
Major Yemi Sokoya, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 13 Brigade, said the rescue was the result of a rapid response and coordinated pursuit.
Brigadier General P.O. Alimikhena, commander of the 13 Brigade, said the army would continue operations to secure the Ikang–Cameroon waterway, a key transport and commercial route that has seen a rise in piracy and kidnappings.
The rescue follows a similar operation on December 29, when the same unit freed eight passengers abducted along the same route.
