No fewer than ten persons reportedly died when an outboard engine boat capsized off the coast of Mbo local government area in Akwa Ibom State.
The sad development is coming barely three days after some medical students under the aegis of the Nigeria Medical Students Association (NIMSA) died in a boat accident in Calabar, Cross River State, Goldennewsng reports.
Reports made available to newsmen on Monday revealed that five members of a family were among the victims of the latest incident in Akwa Ibom.
According to Vanguard, the five victims hailed from the Udung Uko local government area of the State. It was gathered that they were returning from a fishing settlement, Ine Ataobong in Bakassi Peninsula, when they sailed into a fierce storm which capsized their boat, with only two persons surviving the tragedy.
One Eno Effai, who identified herself as a relation of one of the survivors, told reporters that there was no life jacket in the boat when the incident happened.
“It is really so sad. The sea has been so rough this period. Many people have died in the sea while travelling to Mbo or Oron. And this particular one is really sad in the sense that a family of five, including the mother and school children, were involved in the mishap,” the relative reportedly said.
Meanwhile, a group, Mbo Concerned Citizens, had reportedly advocated for establishing a Coast Guard to assist the government in checkmating the nefarious activities of sea pirates in the waterways.
The group believed that such an outfit would go a long way in helping the people involved in the boat mishap, thereby saving lives wordpress-691024-2282346.cloudwaysapps.com understands that the group shared its thought in a tersely worded statement signed by its Coordinator, Uloj Amba and made available to journalists in Uyo, the State capital.
“It is becoming very necessary for the government, either federal or state to establish a Coast Guard with the mandate to checkmate the unholy activities of sea robbers.
“Our people, especially the fishermen, have suffered immensely in the hands of these pirates. No day passes by without any incident on the waterways, which is affecting the livelihood of our people, which is fishing.
Also, the outfit will greatly help sea travellers as it is being done in developed countries. Nothing stops us from starting it here as well, which will give opportunity to young and energetic people to be gainfully employed. So, we are appealing to the government to give this a thought. Many of our people have died during this period because of lack of help when they have boat mishaps,” the statement reads.
