13 passengers were aboard boat travelling from Ikang towards Cameroon when two speed boats collided in Bakassi
CALABAR — Eight people are feared drowned after two W23 speed boats collided in the Ikang axis of Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The incident occurred on September 6, 2026, at about 12:14 p.m., according to the Cross River State Police Command.
The police said one of the boats was carrying 13 Nigerian passengers travelling from Ikang towards Cameroon through Cameroonian territorial waters around the Tikoro area when it collided with another W23 speed boat fitted with a double Yamaha engine.
“Following the collision, eight passengers were feared drowned, while five passengers were rescued alive with the assistance of local fishermen in Cameroon,” the police said.
Following the accident, the bodies of those feared drowned were subsequently brought to Simon Beach in Ikang.
The Cross River State Police Command said its Marine Police personnel in Ikang had been directed to ensure that the recovered bodies were properly identified by their families before being deposited at the morgue.
The command also said it was liaising with relevant authorities and the affected families as efforts continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The police did not immediately release the identities of the passengers feared drowned or provide further details on the condition of the five people rescued alive.
The incident occurred along a waterway connecting the Bakassi area with Cameroon, a route used by communities and travellers in the coastal region.
Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances that led to the collision, including the movement of the two boats and other relevant safety factors.
The Cross River Police Command said further information would be made available as soon as verified details emerge.
The statement was signed by the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, on September 16, 2026.
IBN News reports that eight passengers are feared drowned following the boat collision, while five others were rescued alive, with the police continuing to work with relevant authorities and affected families to establish the full circumstances of the incident.
