BREAKING: 17 Abducted Passengers On Calabar Waterway Regains Freedom

The 17 passengers abducted by gunmen along Calabar waterway have regained their freedom after 12-days in captivity.

A top Naval officer who pleaded anonymity disclosed this to newsmen in Calabar on Monday.

The Naval officer revealed that the 17 victims were rescued from the creeks on Monday afternoon without payment of ransom.

According to the source, "the 17 victims were successfully rescued by the Nigerian Navy from the creek following an intelligence report.

"Following an intelligence, the Navy swang into action and blocked the only entrance to the creek, thereby preventing the kidnappers from taking away their victims to another location.

"The kidnappers who had ran out of foodstuff by this time had no choice than to let go of their victims.

"We were careful not to engage them in order not to jeopardize the safety of the victims.

"As I speak, the victims are presently at the Naval reference hospital in Calabar, while we are after the kidnappers."

The source assured that the Calabar water remains safe for movement of goods and services.

It would be recalled that the 17 passengers were traveling from Calabar to Oron in Akwa Ibom state when their ferry was hijacked and the passengers taken away by the gunmen.

Some of the passengers that boarded the ferry, including the spokesperson of the Akwa Ibom Police command, DSP Timfon John, were lucky to have escaped being abducted alongside the 17 victims.

Source: NAN