About 17 boat passengers travelling from Calabar to Oron have so far spent 10 days with their abductors.

The passengers, numbering 17, were kidnapped midstream on their way to Oron last Thursday.

The abduction, which sparked concerns among travellers, was confirmed by the State Police Command.

However, 10 days on, there is no clue on the whereabouts of the abducted passengers or their identities and it is still unclear if any contact has been made with their families.

Efforts to get in touch with the State Police Command have been unsuccessful as the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Igris Ewa, declined to comment on the issue.

When contacted, an official of the firm which conveyed the passengers who spoke on condition of anonymity said they cannot comment on the incident until they have been briefed by the naval authorities.

The incidence of insecurity at the Calabar Estuary is becoming a cause for concern for travellers following the rise in the frequency of attacks by sea pirates.

Travellers between Akwa Ibom and Cross River State usually flock to water transportation due to the terrible state of the Calabar-Itu road which has overtime been left in a terrible state of disrepair.

Elsewhere in Cross River, the State Police Command has recovered a stolen mini-bus and arrested two suspects in Odukpani LGA, thanks to a collaboration with local youths.

The vehicle, a Cross River State-coloured mini-bus with registration number KTE 239 ZY, was snatched on Thursday, October 3, 2025, along the Awi-Odukpani road.

Following a complaint, the police, along with the vehicle’s owner and youths from Ekim Ebebet Community, launched a search operation. Two suspects, Utibe Nse Solomon and Emmanuel Effiong, both from Akwa Ibom State, were arrested, and a kitchen knife and dried hot pepper were recovered from them. (The Sun)

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