The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has rescued 28 fishermen kidnapped by a five-man gang in Akwakpa, Uruan Local Government Area of the state.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatoye Durosinmi, made this known while briefing newsmen in Uyo, the state capital, on Friday.
Durosinmi said that the fishermen were rescued through intelligence.
According to him, as soon as he got the report, he drafted the marine officers who were able to rescue the victims at the creeks where the gang held them hostage for over eight hours.
He said the pirates always posed as fishermen to carry out their nefarious activities on unsuspecting fishermen.
“The 28 men and women you see here are the people rescued by police marine officers.
“The victims at about 18:00hrs on Thursday were attacked at sea by five-man gang pirates. They seized the boat of the victims and put them where they would not come out.
“These men of the underworld will pretend to be fishermen and we’ve actually caught five of them before and they are in detention; the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them.
“The gang pretending to be fishermen bumped into the victims and asked them to get into the boat,” he said.
The police commissioner said that fortunately, one of the victims had the phone number of the local government chairman who later alerted me.
”The usual practice is that the men and women go out on Thursday and come back on a Sunday.
“They were there all through the night searching where the victims are and by 10:00hrs, my officers found them around a creek with their boat.
”As I speak, the detachment of the marine officers are still trailing the suspects,” he said.
Durosinmi further said that the command would take the victims to the police clinic for proper medical attention and thereafter, reunite them with their families.
He gave assurance that the command would continue to ensure that the state’s land and water remained safe for the people.
“I have taken care of the victims, I will take them to police clinic and they will be released to members of their family soon.
“I want to assure the public that I will do all within my powers to ensure that Akwa Ibom is safe in both land and at sea,’” the CP said.
One of the victims, Mrs Victoria Pius, said that the pirates collected about N1 million from her, which was part of a loan she collected and to pay back with interest.
“They shot in the air several times, beat us mercilessly before collecting our things,” she added.
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