The Assistant Inspector General of Police for zone six Calabar, AIG Auwal Musa Mohammed has ordered the two commissioners of police in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States to deploy their men and resources immediately to rescue the 15 passengers kidnapped along the Calabar-Oron waterway, three days after.
The pirate attack occurred on Friday. The passengers, most of whom were students travelling to Akwa Ibom from Cross River to write the JAMB Examinations, were attacked by the pirates on the waterway.
Statements issued by both commands confirmed the directive from the AIG.
In their immediate reaction to the directive, the Akwa Ibom command said they were closely synergising with the Cross River State Police Command and the Nigerian Navy to rescue the victims.
The statement signed by the PRO, DSP Timfon John, said the Command has deployed a formidable combination of marine, tactical, and intelligence assets to dominate the waterways and adjoining creeks, with a view to tracking down the criminals and securing the safe release of the victims.
“Acting on the directive of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 6, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare has ordered sustained, intelligence-driven operations, including coordinated patrols, surveillance, and targeted raids across identified criminal hideouts within the maritime corridor.
“The Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safe rescue of all abducted persons and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
He warned that the Command, in collaboration with sister security agencies, will leave no stone unturned in flushing out criminal elements from the waterways.
Similarly, the Cross River command PPRO, Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said they were working in close synergy with the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and the Nigerian Navy.
He said coordinated search-and-rescue and tactical operations are currently ongoing to ensure the safe recovery of the victims and the swift apprehension of the perpetrators.
The AIG issued a firm directive for immediate and sustained joint security operations between the two states.
The AIG mandated the two Commissioners of Police in Cross River State to immediately activate a robust, intelligence-driven and coordinated inter-state security framework aimed at the swift rescue of the victims and the apprehension of all perpetrators.
The directive emphasizes seamless collaboration between both State Commands, in synergy with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant security agencies, to dominate the waterways, dismantle criminal networks, and restore confidence in maritime safety across the zone.
The AIG unequivocally charged the two Commissioners of Police to set aside all jurisdictional limitations and operational boundaries, and deploy all available tactical and intelligence assets towards achieving this mission.
He stressed that the rescue of the abducted victims remains a top operational priority, and warned that the Command will pursue the perpetrators relentlessly until justice is served.
