The Cross River State Police Command has officially confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar waterways. The incident occurred on Thursday.Confirming the event on Saturday in Calabar, the command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, stated that security operatives have been mobilized to ensure the immediate and prompt rescue of the victims.DSP Ewa also disclosed that a serving police officer from Akwa Ibom State and a prominent Cross River politician, who were aboard the same boat, managed to evade capture during the attack.According to an anonymous passenger account, the pirates intercepted the boat shortly after its departure from Oron en route to Calabar. The assailants halted the vessel, transferred a number of passengers to their own boat, and departed once it was full.Upon arrival at the Inland Waterways Jetty, the remaining passengers were extensively questioned by the police, and their statements were officially recorded before they were permitted to leave.