Sea Pirates Disrupt Fishing Activities In Oron Waterways

Fishing activities around Oron waterways in Akwa Ibom have come under siege as a result of the activities of sea pirates.
 A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the area, reports that the coastal waterway of Oron, Mbo, Ibaka and Ibeno have been taken over by pirates.
Speaking with NAN in an interview at Oron Beach, Mr Effiong Esu, a vessel owner and  fisherman, said that if concrete measures were not taken immediately, there would be scarcity of fish in the state.

Fishing activities around Oron waterways in Akwa Ibom have come under siege as a result of the activities of sea pirates.
 A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the area, reports that the coastal waterway of Oron, Mbo, Ibaka and Ibeno have been taken over by pirates.
Speaking with NAN in an interview at Oron Beach, Mr Effiong Esu, a vessel owner and  fisherman, said that if concrete measures were not taken immediately, there would be scarcity of fish in the state.
Esu called for increased patrol of the waterways by security operatives to check the high level of criminality going on in the area.
 He said that his boat was attacked, the engine stolen, fish carted away with some money, but no life was lost.
Esu called on the state government to beef up security in the Oron waterways to get rid of the water thieves in the area.
He said that sea piracy was a major security challenge that needed a proactive approach to save the nation from national embarrassment.
NAN reports that for more than four months now, sea pirates have been terrorizing the waterways, robbing, kidnapping and often killing their victims returning from the Republic of Cameroon.
On the development, Pastor Samuel Ayadi, the state Chairman, Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Akwa Ibom Chapter, noted that the sea pirates was common in the area.
Ayadi said that the economic well-being of the people was being affected through the activities of the sea pirates in the area.
He disclosed that two outboard engines were stolen from the fishermen in Oron Local Government of Akwa Ibom two weeks ago.
Ayadi called on the State and Federal Governments to check the activities of sea pirates in Akwa Ibom in order to forestall the scarcity of fish in the state and that country at large.
“The relevant government agencies should rise to the challenge of ensuring that the necessary machinery and tools are provided to the armed forces, to enable them to carry out their statutory duties at all times.’’