Security agencies have launched coordinated search-and-rescue operations to secure the release of 15 passengers abducted by gunmen along the Calabar–Oron waterway on Friday.

The spokesperson of the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed in a statement on Monday that the command is working with security partners to locate the victims and arrest the attackers.

According to him, the operation is being carried out in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and the Nigerian Navy to ensure the safe recovery of the abducted passengers and the swift apprehension of those responsible.

A naval officer, who spoke anonymously, said the gunmen ambushed the passenger ferry while it was travelling from Calabar in Cross River State to Oron in Akwa Ibom State.

The Calabar–Oron route is a major inland waterway used for transporting passengers and goods across the lower reaches of the Cross River and surrounding creeks, serving as an important alternative to road travel in the region.

However, the corridor has increasingly become a hotspot for piracy, kidnappings and armed attacks in recent years, with security challenges worsened by the maze of creeks and mangrove forests that provide cover for criminal groups.