By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
Government of Cross River State has banned travels by boats through the Calabar-Oron waterway after 6.00pm.
The government also designated what it calls official maritime route for boats to ply, warning that any deviation was risky for water travellers.
On Friday 17th April after 2026, kidnappers are reported to have once again 15 boat passengers, many of them JAMB candidates traveling to Akwa Ibom State for examinations. Piracy is reported to be rife on the Cross River waters.
Special adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on marine services, Otu Ita said the reminder was very necessary in view of new reports about kidnapping on the waterway.
“The public and all maritime stakeholders are reminded that there is a standing restriction of movement on sea transport along the Calabar–Oron waterway.
“With effect from 6:00 p.m. daily, no boat is permitted to operate on the Calabar–Oron waterway. This measure is part of the State Government’s proactive security framework to safeguard lives and property.
“On this note, we strongly enjoin all sea transport operators, boat captains, and relevant stakeholders to comply strictly with the use of officially designated waterway routes and to adhere to the stipulated operating hours.”
He warned that the patronage of unapproved shortcuts and violation of the 6:00 p.m. curfew endangers lives and undermines the maritime security architecture instituted by the government.
Ita informed that boats plying the official Calabar–Oron waterway are mandated to pass through five Marine Security Checkpoints, which are strategically established to ensure the safety of passengers and crew before arrival at Oron.
He assured that the government State remains unwavering in its commitment to the safety and protection of all commuters on the waterways, maintaining that they will continue to partner with security agencies to sustain law and order across the marine corridors.
