The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has confirmed that its marine division successfully repelled a sea pirate attack along the Oron-Calabar waterway. The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made this known in a statement issued in Uyo on Tuesday.

According to John, marine police personnel were on a search-and-rescue operation when they received an intelligence report alerting them to an ongoing attack by armed pirates. The assailants, numbering no fewer than seven, were said to be operating in a speedboat, targeting innocent civilians traveling on the waterway.

In response, operatives from the marine division were swiftly deployed to the scene. John explained that the attackers engaged the police in a fierce gun duel but were ultimately overpowered. Several of the pirates reportedly sustained gunshot wounds before retreating into a shallow creek, which was inaccessible to the police patrol boats.

Following the clash, police operatives launched a raid on a suspected hideout used by the criminals. The operation resulted in the recovery of several items believed to have been used in their activities, including a locally made firearm, live and spent K2 ammunition, a speedboat with a 200-horsepower Yamaha engine, an additional 15-horsepower Yamaha engine, dismantled engine components, an improvised toolbox, a petrol generator, and a standing fan.

While no arrests have been made yet, the police said efforts are ongoing to track down and apprehend the fleeing members of the gang. The command reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property along the state’s waterways and urged the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies.