Nigerian Army Rescues 18 From Pirate Attack

By Staff, Agencies

The Nigerian Army rescued all 18 passengers, including two infants, after suspected sea pirates hijacked a passenger boat on Sunday.

According to the statement published by the Nigerian Army on X, the boat was traveling from Nigeria to Cameroon along the Kombo Fishing Port axis when raiders operating two speedboats and a wooden boat intercepted it. 

Military sources said troops of the Nigerian Army’s 13th Brigade responded to a distress call, pursued the attackers, and exchanged gunfire, forcing the pirates to abandon the captives and flee after one speedboat capsized. All passengers were rescued unharmed.

Brigadier General P.O. Alimikhena praised the troops’ swift response, saying the rescue showed “the courage, professionalism, and unwavering commitment” of personnel to protecting lives and waterways.

Piracy and armed robbery at sea have long been security concerns in the Gulf of Guinea, a key maritime trade route that stretches across West and Central Africa, which is bordered by countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Equatorial Guinea.

The International Maritime Bureau says piracy and armed robbery incidents in the Gulf of Guinea rose in 2025, with 15 cases reported from January to September, up from 12 a year earlier.

In April, pirates raided a tanker off Nigeria’s coast, holding it for nearly four hours while stealing crew belongings and equipment before fleeing; no one was harmed.