By chatnewstv.com
ABUJA, Nigeria (chatnewstv.com) — Nigerian Army troops rescued 18 passengers, including two infants, on Sunday after suspected sea pirates hijacked a commercial boat traveling from Nigeria to Cameroon.
The rescue operation occurred near the Kombo 4 fishing port in Cameroon shortly after pirates operating in two speedboats and a wooden vessel intercepted the passenger craft.
A senior Army Headquarters official, speaking on condition of anonymity to the News Agency of Nigeria, said troops launched a pursuit immediately after receiving a distress call. The encounter led to a direct exchange of gunfire on the water.
“One pirate speedboat powered by a 15-horsepower engine capsized during the encounter, forcing the attackers to abandon their captives and flee into nearby creeks,” the source said.
The military official confirmed that all 18 victims were rescued unharmed. During the heat of the engagement, troops expended five rounds of 7.62mm NATO and four rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition to repel the assailants.
“Security operations in the area are ongoing,” the source added, noting that the army remains committed to “sustaining operations across theaters nationwide” to secure transit routes.
The Gulf of Guinea, which includes the maritime borders of Nigeria and Cameroon, has long been a flashpoint for piracy and kidnappings for ransom. While large-scale vessel hijackings have decreased in recent years due to increased naval patrols, smaller passenger craft and fishing boats remains vulnerable to armed gangs operating out of the region’s dense network of creeks.
Troops have maintained a presence in the area following the rescue to “dominate the waterways” and prevent further criminal incursions.
