OUTRAGE ON THE WATERWAYS: 17 Passengers Still Missing One Week After Oron-Calabar Kidnap — Tinubu’s ‘Victory Over Insecurity’ Under Fire

Calabar/Oron — A week after 17 passengers were abducted in broad daylight on the Calabar-Oron waterway, fear and anger continue to ripple across the nation as families wait in vain for word from the kidnappers. The silence of both government and security agencies stands in stark contrast to President Bola Tinubu’s bold declaration, made only yesterday, that his administration has “won the fight against insecurity.”

The victims, who vanished on September 26, included a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member travelling for clearance, according to social media activist Raye, who first broke the news online. “One of them was a Corper going for clearance. Today makes one week — still no contact,” she posted on X.

Conflicting accounts emerged after initial reports suggested 15 victims were taken on the Calabar-Uyo route. National dailies have since confirmed that 17 passengers were kidnapped on the Oron-Calabar line. Raye further alleged that a police officer and a former accountant-general onboard were released, fueling suspicions of selective freedom while the ordinary passengers remain in captivity.

The incident has unleashed a wave of fury online.

“If no calls, no ransom, then it’s definitely organ trafficking,” wrote user @johnson_dw16179.

“This is heartbreaking. How are human lives this cheap in this country?” lamented @Nobdylikeschima, mourning the young corps member’s plight.

@StainOdi blasted the “media blackout on kidnapping,” while @Mrvinx002 recalled, “Months back there was a war between Obudu and Tiv — none of the media reported it.”

The contrast between official silence and Tinubu’s self-congratulatory claims has only deepened public distrust. Critics say the Oron-Calabar abduction is yet another reminder of Nigeria’s fragile security architecture, where citizens navigating roads, farms, and now waterways face danger without protection.

As the victims’ families endure a terrifying wait, questions mount: Why have security agencies not tracked the kidnappers? Why is there no official briefing? And why should Nigerians believe the president’s words when the evidence on the ground tells a bloodier story?

For now, 17 Nigerians are still missing at sea — and a nation watches in anxious silence.