One White Candle, Ammunition, and Speedboat Among Items Recovered as Marine Police Foil Pirate Attack in Akwa Ibom
Oron, Nigeria – A dramatic confrontation between marine police operatives and suspected sea pirates unfolded on the Oron-Calabar waterways over the weekend, resulting in the recovery of a cache of items including a white candle, live ammunition, and a stolen speedboat.
According to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, the incident occurred at approximately 12:06 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, when officers on routine patrol were alerted to an ongoing pirate attack by a gang of seven armed men in a speedboat.
Upon arrival, the marine unit came under heavy gunfire from the assailants. Police officers returned fire, forcing the pirates—believed to have sustained gunshot wounds—to abandon their vessel and flee into a nearby shallow creek, which proved inaccessible to police boats.
In the hours that followed, police operatives raided what they described as a “pirates’ camp,” recovering a wide array of items, both maritime and personal. These included a W23 speedboat powered by a 200HP Yamaha engine, a 15HP Yamaha engine, dismantled engine parts, and a Dane gun. Also seized were a petrol generator, an improvised toolbox, a standing fan, and a rubber container filled with materials believed to be charms.
Perhaps most curiously, police recovered a white candle, a black wallet containing a WAEC examination ID card bearing the name “Patrick Edet Effiong,” passport photographs, a brown handbag with tablets, K2 live ammunition, empty cartridges, personal grooming items, and a wristwatch.
While the operation successfully repelled the attack and dismantled the pirates’ base, the suspects remain at large. Authorities say efforts are underway to track and apprehend them.
Police spokesperson DSP Timfon John confirmed the operation in a statement issued Monday. “Our operatives acted swiftly and bravely in responding to a distress call,” she said. “We are intensifying efforts to arrest the fleeing criminals and bring them to justice.”
This incident highlights the ongoing security challenges along Nigeria’s southern waterways, where piracy, smuggling, and other maritime crimes remain persistent threats despite regular patrols by security agencies.
