Fishermen in agony, economy grounded as pirates take over waterways

By Adeleye Kunle

They come from the creeks in their numbers, they pillage, they kidnap, they rob us of our valuables, they cart away our engine boats! Some who resist, get killed; we pay huge sums as ransom, we are scared beyond our marrows!

”Many times we have sought help, but help seems too far from us, we devised a means for protection, but it failed, we are taking it to the streets today to let the world know that all is not well with us.”

This was how John Bassey, a fisherman in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State recounted to Track News correspondent in Uyo how persistent attacks by pirates had brought their fishing activities to their knees and made life difficult for them.

The rising cases of piracy on the waterways in the State has raised a lot of concerns and require urgent interventions by government relevant agencies, but it seems that much has not been done to tackle this trend rearing its ugly head in the maritime sector.

However, IBEGHAYO, an umbrella name for fishers from Ibeno, Ghana and Yoruba contributed money to make alternative arrangements for security; the gesture was short-lived as the attack continued unabated.

The Chairman of the association, Mr. Samuel Akpan told journalists over the weekend that the only security post, Mopol 29 which provides security for fishers, has been shut down for lack of funding by the local government.

Akpan explained that members have lost over 35 engine boats to pirates within four months and each engine boat costs a minimum of three million Naira.

He alleged that when the issue was brought to the local government chairman in 2021, he assured the association that once he receives tenement rate, he would purchase four 200 horsepower engines and two speed boats for security officials to parade the sea, but nothing has been done up till this moment