26 August 2026 · Ogoja
Kidnapping in Cross River
OpenWatch has recorded 114 reported kidnapping incidents in Cross River State, 8 of them in the last 12 months. That is 24% of every incident recorded in the state, and ranks it 25 of 37 among the states where kidnapping is reported often enough to profile.
Incidents · 12 mo
8
Fatalities · 12 mo
0
Incidents · all-time
114
Fatalities · all-time
41
Latest reported kidnapping in Cross River
27 July 2026 · Boki
Five youths were abducted during an attack linked to a lingering boundary dispute between two neighbouring communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State. Police are reported to be involved in the response.
26 June 2026 · Yala
Troops of the 130 Battalion (Rear) and 341 Artillery Regiment rescued 36 Benue indigenes held against their will in Imaje Community, Yala LGA, Cross River State, following a communal reprisal linked to a livestock theft dispute. The hostage-taking was reportedly triggered after an Imaje Community member was attacked by youths in Benue State over stolen livestock, prompting community members to detain Benue residents living in the area.
1 May 2026
The Nigerian Navy has imposed a 13-hour curfew on Calabar waterways to combat kidnappings and has established a security outpost to monitor activities in the area. Recent operations have led to the clearance of suspected militant elements and the apprehension of an informant.
21 April 2026
Fourteen victims were rescued by the Nigeria Police Force and EFCC after being abducted by sea pirates along the Calabar–Oron waterways. The operation was part of a coordinated effort to combat piracy in the region.
20 April 2026
Sea pirates abducted 20 passengers, including UTME candidates, along the Calabar waterways on Friday.
20 April 2026
Fifteen passengers were kidnapped by gunmen on the Calabar-Oron waterways, and police are conducting search-and-rescue operations to recover them. The police are collaborating with the Akwa Ibom command and the navy in their efforts.
1 March 2026 · Yala
Three girls, including a deaf and dumb girl, were trafficked from the village of Ebo in Yala Local Government Area to Côte d’Ivoire and are currently missing.
15 June 2024
An 18-year-old man was abducted by hoodlums on suspicion of dating the girlfriend of their leader. He was later found with multiple injuries after the gang fled upon police arrival.
28 March 2024
Three students of the University of Calabar were abducted from a hostel on campus on Thursday night. The police are collaborating with other agencies to rescue the students.
Other threats in Cross River
About these figures
Counts cover incidents classified as kidnapping in Cross River State, drawn from OpenWatch’s incident record, excluding retracted reports and duplicates merged into an earlier report. Figures update hourly. Last recorded: 26 August 2026.
Reported numbers are a floor, not a census. Incidents in remote areas are routinely under-reported, and classification follows how an event was described in reporting, so a low count is not a guarantee of safety. See the full Cross River risk profile for every threat type, or the methodology for how incidents are collected and classified.
Track Cross River live on the incident map.