By Nathaniel Zaccheus, Abuja
The Senate has directed security agencies to immediately commence coordinated operations to rescue no fewer than 15 passengers, including candidates preparing for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), abducted by suspected sea pirates along the Calabar–Oron waterways.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South), who drew attention to last Friday’s violent hijack of a commercial ferry travelling from Calabar to Oron.
Sampson described the attack as disturbing and tragic, noting that the victims—many of them young Nigerians pursuing higher education—were taken at gunpoint when armed pirates ambushed the vessel mid-journey.
He said: “No fewer than fifteen Nigerians travelling in a commercial ferry from Calabar to Oron were violently abducted by suspected sea pirates. Among them are young people whose aspirations for higher education now hang in the balance.”
According to the lawmaker, eyewitness accounts and reports from local fishermen indicated that the attackers seized control of the boat and ferried the passengers to unknown destinations, sparking fear across coastal communities in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
The Senate expressed concern over the worsening insecurity on the Calabar–Oron waterways, a key transport and economic route in the Niger Delta, warning that persistent piracy and kidnapping are endangering lives and livelihoods.
Lawmakers lamented that despite assurances by security agencies, criminal activities have continued on inland waterways, eroding public confidence in maritime travel.
Adopting the motion, the Senate condemned the incident and sympathised with families of the abducted victims.
It urged the Chief of Naval Staff, the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to deploy immediate and coordinated search-and-rescue efforts to secure the safe and unconditional release of the victims.
The upper chamber also called on the Nigerian Navy, Marine Police and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to intensify patrols, surveillance and intelligence operations across the waterways and adjoining creeks.
To address the root causes of the attacks, the Senate mandated its Committees on Navy, Marine Transport, and National Security and Intelligence to investigate the increasing cases of maritime insecurity in the Niger Delta and recommend lasting solutions.
It further urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to explore options that would reduce the need for candidates to travel across states to sit for the UTME, citing safety concerns.
The Senate also directed the Federal Ministry of Works to expedite work on the Calabar–Itu–Odukpani highway to reduce dependence on water transport in the affected corridor.
Lawmakers warned that failure to curb insecurity on inland waterways could embolden criminal elements, disrupt economic activities and further expose commuters to danger across Nigeria’s coastal regions.
