The Police Command in Akwa Ibom have rescued 28 fishers kidnapped by a five-man gang in Akwakpa, Uruan Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Olatoye Durosinmi, made this known while briefing newsmen in Uyo on Friday.
Durosinmi said that the fishers 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 a five-man gang pirates. They seized the boat of the victims and put them where they will 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”.