The Nigerian Navy says it has disrupted a suspected sea robbery attempt and rescued 16 civilian passengers after an armed group seized a fibre passenger boat on the Ibaka–Calabar Channel, a busy coastal corridor linking communities near the Nigeria–Cameroon maritime boundary. The operation took place on Sunday, 8 March 2026, after naval authorities received intelligence indicating suspicious activity around Buoy 12 along the channel.
According to a statement attributed to the Director of Naval Information, Capt. A.A. Folorunsho, gunboats from Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka were dispatched to intercept the suspects and prevent an abduction into nearby creeks. Nigerian media reports said the intercepted vessel was carrying civilians from Ibaka (Akwa Ibom State) toward Bakassi, on the Cameroon side of the border area, when the attackers took control and held passengers hostage.
Intelligence-led response at Buoy 12
In the Navy’s account, the patrol arrived quickly at Buoy 12 and found the passenger craft under the control of suspected sea robbers. The suspects’ reported intent was to move hostages into shallow creeks that border the channel, a tactic commonly used to reduce the effectiveness of pursuit by larger platforms and to complicate tracking in labyrinthine waterways.
Folorunsho said naval gunboats engaged the assailants, leading them to abandon the seized boat and flee into adjacent shallow creeks. The Navy recovered the vessel and extracted all 16 passengers, who were reported to be uninjured and in good health. The episode was reported by The Guardian (9 March 2026, Johnson Eyiangho) and Vanguard (9 March 2026, Kingsley Omonobi), both citing the naval statement.
Escort to the Nigeria–Cameroon maritime border
After the rescue, Navy personnel reportedly escorted the passengers to the Nigeria–Cameroon maritime border to ensure safe passage and allow the journey to continue. While details such as the passengers’ identities and the number of attackers were not disclosed, the Navy described the action as part of its ongoing effort to deny maritime criminals “freedom of action” along waterways in the country’s south-east.
The Nigerian Navy also publicised the operation on its official social media channels, describing the outcome as a disruption of a sea robbery attempt and a successful rescue of the passengers along the Ibaka–Calabar route. An official Nigerian Navy post on X dated 10 March 2026 referred to the incident as a search and rescue response tied to maritime security patrols in the corridor.
Why the Ibaka–Calabar corridor matters
The Ibaka–Calabar Channel sits within the broader Gulf of Guinea maritime security picture, where armed robbery at sea and kidnappings have historically threatened coastal trade and passenger movements. In Nigeria, the risk profile varies by route and season, but attacks on small craft and riverine passenger boats remain a persistent concern because they offer criminals speed, concealment, and access to shoreline hideouts.
In its statement, the Navy framed the operation as consistent with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s stated intent to maintain a proactive posture and protect life and property at sea. For coastal communities and legitimate operators, the immediate operational significance is the quick recovery of hostages and the visible presence of patrol assets on a route that connects Nigeria’s maritime borderlands with neighbouring Cameroon.
