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Lastest News Nigeria, Politics, Business, Sport, Interview
As steps were being put in place to limit and curtail the threat of sea pirates and other maritime crimes, Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel told fishermen and other maritime operators that doing business on the state’s coastal waters would be simple.
Following persistent attacks by sea pirates that resulted in the deaths of dozens of fishermen and seafarers and the theft of several outboard engines, maritime businesses in the vicinity of the riverine communities of Ibeno, Ibaka in the Mbo local government area, Uruan, Eket, and Oron LGAs have been disrupted with operators, including fishermen, being forced out of business.
“We have lost a number of our soldiers to sea pirates, who occasionally threw our soldiers overboard and stole the boats. Some of the thieves would take the boats out of service and abduct the outboard motors for a ransom, which if not paid within a certain amount of time, would be auctioned.
“Due to these unrestricted attacks, which include the constant killings, theft of boats, and seizure of outboard engines, I have temporarily stopped navigating the waterways.
Effiong Edet Ating, a fisherman at Ibaka beach in Mbo LGA, lamented, “Therefore, we are calling on the government and security agencies to come to our rescue through increased security patrols by Marine Police including the Nigerian Navy and other maritime operatives for peace, and to safeguard lives on the high seas.”
However, the governor gave the assurance that the issue will be resolved after receiving gun boats from Usman Alkali Baba, the IGP.
In order to restore normalcy to the state’s coastal waters and allow peaceful maritime companies to flourish, he congratulated the IGP for responding to the clamor of the maritime operators and tasked security personnel on the coastal waters with being resolute in dealing with the threat.
IGP’s donation of the gun boat, he said, “would, in my opinion, further strengthen the capabilities of the security authorities to properly police our waterways and maintain it secure for maritime companies to go smoothly.” He emphasized this.
