Ini Billie, Uyo
Gunmen suspected to be sea pirates have again attacked fishermen off the coast of Ibaka in Mbo local government area, Akwa Ibom state, seizing their outboard engines and leaving them stranded on the high sea.
The incident happened on Tuesday barely 24 hours after the fishermen under the auspices of WatchOut Cooperative Society protested the incessant attacks and abduction of their members in the state.
Counsel representing some of the fishermen, Oluwajuwon Ogunbiyi said in Uyo on Wednesday about 25 fishermen are now stranded at sea because people were afraid to go for a rescue operation for fear of being attacked.
Ogunbiyi called on President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies to save the fishermen from the daily attacks by the sea pirates.
“Last night around 7 pm, we got a report that the sea pirates attacked two board engines off the coast of Ibaka. Those people are stranded on the waterways. Close to 20 persons were in the bigger boat and the other one contained five people.
“No one could go there that night for a rescue operation for fear of being attacked. These fishermen are still stranded at the waterways. They seized their outboard engines and left them there and each outboard engine cost over N2.5 million and I am not even sure you will see any of these engines in Nigeria,” he stated.
Ogunbiyi attributed the frequent attacks on the fishermen to the lack of sustained patrol by the Navy but commended the Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme for providing helping them out of the situation.
He urged the Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Ibaka to intensify patrol on the waterways to minimize incidence of attacks and abduction of the fishermen in the state.
“The only reason these Sea pirates are attacking the fishermen is because there is no patrol,” he said.
However, the Navy Commanding Officer, Forward Operation Base, Ibaka Capt. Abu denied the allegations of lack of patrol on the waterways.
He said, ” I was at the sea yesterday and I only came back this morning. Any time you come here we will tell you the efforts we have been making”.