No fewer than 10 persons have been confirmed dead after an outboard engine boat capsized off the coast of Mbo local government area in Akwa Ibom State yesterday.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that, of the 10 victims, five were from the same family from the Udung Uko local government area of the State.
They were returning from a fishing settlement, Ine Ataobong in Bakassi Peninsula when they sailed into a fierce storm which capsised their boat with only two persons surviving the tragedy.
A relation of one of the survivors, Mrs Eno Effai who deals on sea foods described the incident as tragic as according to her, there was no life jacket in the boat.
She said: ‘It is really so sad. The sea has been so rough this period. Many people have lost their lives 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.’
Meanwhile, a group, Mbo Concerned Citizens has made a case for the establishment of a Coast Guard to assist the government in combating the nefarious activities of sea pirates in the waterways.
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Besides, the group noted that such an outfit would go a long way in helping the people involved in the boat mishap thereby saving lives
Their position is contained in a tersely worded statement signed by its Coordinator, Uloj Amba which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York on Tuesday morning.
The statement read in part; ‘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 be of great help to sea travellers as it is being done in the 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.