Nigerian Army troops have rescued 18 passengers — among them two infants — after suspected sea pirates hijacked a passenger boat en route from Nigeria to Cameroon, authorities have confirmed.
The operation was carried out on Sunday following a distress alert from the attacked vessel near Kombo 4 Fishing Port along the Cameroonian coastline, according to a senior source at Army Headquarters.
Security officials said the boat was intercepted by armed pirates operating from two speedboats and a wooden craft, forcing the passengers into captivity before troops launched a rapid response.
Military personnel pursued the attackers across the waterways, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire. During the confrontation, one of the pirate speedboats — fitted with a 15-horsepower engine — capsised, compelling the assailants to abandon their captives and escape into surrounding creeks.
“All the victims were rescued without injuries,” the source said, adding that troops immediately secured the area and intensified patrols to prevent further attacks.
The army disclosed that five rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition and four rounds of 7.62mm Special were fired during the operation.
Security operations remain ongoing in the area as forces continue to dominate the waterways and disrupt criminal networks operating along the Nigeria–Cameroon maritime corridor.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to sustained operations across all theatres, stressing that efforts to counter piracy, kidnapping and other maritime crimes would not relent.
The Gulf of Guinea and surrounding coastal routes have remained a hotspot for sea piracy, prompting increased military surveillance and cross-border security cooperation in recent years.
