By Muhammad Mamman
The Nigerian Navy has successfully reunited 17 kidnap victims with their families after rescuing them from gunmen who abducted them along the Calabar–Oron waterway on 25 September.
Spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory (NNS Victory), Commander Sulaiman Bala, confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the victims underwent medical checks at the Naval Reference Hospital in Calabar before being handed over to their families.
According to Bala, the rescue operation was executed on Monday without any ransom being paid, following actionable intelligence and coordinated efforts by naval personnel.
He explained that troops from NNS Victory, supported by the Forward Operating Base Ibaka, launched multiple operations that included blocking the creek leading to the kidnappers’ camp. The Nigerian Navy Air Arm also conducted surveillance missions under the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, with intelligence support from the State Security Service and the Defence Intelligence Agency.
Bala added that the coordinated actions disrupted the kidnappers’ logistics and forced them to release their captives through negotiations facilitated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to maintaining security across the nation’s waterways, stating that operations would continue until all criminal elements in the region are apprehended.
