Three days after the abduction of fifteen passengers along the Calabar-Oron waterway, AIG Auwal Musa Mohammed, the zone six commander in Calabar, has ordered the two state commissioners of police in Cross River and Akwa Ibom to immediately deploy their forces in order to free the hostages.
Friday was the day of the pirate attack. Pirates assaulted the ship as it sailed from Cross River to Akwa Ibom, where majority of the passengers were students preparing to take the JAMB exams.
Both commands’ statements affirmed the AIG’s order.
Responding swiftly to the order, the command in Akwa Ibom stated that they were working in tandem with the command in Cross River State and the Nigerian Navy to save the lives of the injured.
The Command has deployed a powerful combination of marine, tactical, and intelligence assets to control the waterways and nearby creeks. The statement, signed by the PRO, DSP Timfon John, claimed that the goal is to track down the offenders and ensure the victims’ safe release.
The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, has issued a directive to conduct intelligence-driven operations, such as coordinated patrols, surveillance, and targeted raids, at designated criminal hideouts within the maritime corridor. This action follows the directive of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 6.
In a statement, the Commissioner of Police reiterated the unfaltering will of the Command to find and free all hostages and punish those responsible.
In their relentless pursuit of criminals in the waterways, he said that the Command and its sister security agencies will spare no effort.
Like the Nigerian Navy and the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, the Cross River command’s PPRO, Eitokpah Sunday Akata, stated that they were collaborating closely.
He assured the public that tactical operations and coordinated search-and-rescue efforts are continuing at this time to guarantee the victims’ safe return and the quick capture of those responsible.
An urgent and ongoing call for coordinated security actions between the two governments was made by the AIG.
The AIG has ordered the two Cross River State police commissioners to launch an interstate security framework that is strong, intelligence-driven, and coordinated in order to find the victims as soon as possible and catch the criminals.
In order to regain trust in maritime safety throughout the zone, control the waterways, and demolish criminal networks, the directive stresses the importance of smooth cooperation between the two State Commands in tandem with the Nigerian Navy and other pertinent security agencies.
The AIG has clearly ordered the two police commissioners to disregard any and all operational and jurisdictional borders and to use all tactical and intelligence resources at their disposal to accomplish this objective.
He emphasised that the abducted victims’ rescue is still an operational priority and issued a warning that the Command will pursue the criminals with utmost might until they face justice.