The Senate has directed security agencies to immediately rescue the passengers abducted by suspected sea pirates along the Calabar–Oron waterways.
It also ordered a comprehensive investigation into rising maritime insecurity in the Niger Delta.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Ekong Sampson, who drew attention to the recent hijacking of a commercial passenger boat travelling from Calabar to Oron.
Lawmakers expressed concern over the incident, noting that several of those abducted, said to be at least 15, were prospective candidates for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), raising fears over their safety and academic future.
According to accounts presented during plenary, heavily armed pirates ambushed the vessel mid-journey, seized control, and forced passengers to unknown destinations at gunpoint.
The attack was said to have left families distressed and heightened tension across coastal communities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
READ ALSO: All Abducted Benue Bus Passengers Freed, Seven Suspects Arrested – Police
In response, the Senate mandated its committees on navy, marine transport, and national security and Intelligence to investigate the persistent security breaches on inland waterways in the region.
The upper chamber further called on the Chief of Naval Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, and other relevant security agencies to launch coordinated search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe release of the victims.
It also urged the Nigerian Navy, Marine Police, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to intensify surveillance, patrols, and intelligence-gathering efforts across the waterways and adjoining creeks.
Lawmakers noted that the Calabar–Oron route remained a critical economic and transport corridor but has increasingly become vulnerable to piracy, kidnapping, smuggling, and armed robbery, despite previous assurances from security agencies.
UTME Centres
Meanwhile, the Senate urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to review its examination logistics, particularly the posting of candidates to centres far from their residences.
The Senate stressed the need for reforms that would minimise interstate travel for candidates and improve overall safety in the conduct of the examination.
The call followed growing concerns over the safety of candidates required to travel long distances to sit for the UTME, amid reports of security threats and logistical challenges across parts of the country.
The Senate’s directive also followed the April 15 attack on a Benue Links bus traveling from Makurdi to Otukpo, where gunmen abducted 15 passengers and took them into a forest.
Thirteen victims were later rescued by security operatives, two escaped, and seven suspects were arrested, while the driver was detained for violating safety rules.
Although JAMB and the police initially denied that the victims were exam candidates, Governor Hyacinth Alia later confirmed that eight were UTME candidates, sparking calls for their exams to be rescheduled.
