Fishing communities in Akwa Ibom State are facing hard times as pirates lay siege, abduct fishermen and plunder their sources of livelihood. PATRICK ODEY examines the trend and plights of the fishermen
Akwa Ibom State is blessed with abundant water resources which serve as a source of livelihood to many people, especially those living in the coastal regions of the state.
In such areas, indigenes and non-indigenes over the years have engaged in various types of water-related businesses such as trading in seafoods, boat making, water transportation and fishing, without let or hindrance.
Sadly, however, these business owners and their business fortunes have recently been threatened due to the nefarious activities of sea pirates who terrorise them at sea, seize their outboard engines and sometimes kidnap them for ransom.
They (sea pirates) harass them oftentimes at gunpoint at sea and forcefully collect their cash.
Our correspondent, reports that the activities of the Sea pirates have crippled the fishing business and other water-related businesses at Ibaka in the Mbo Local Government Area; Ukpenekang, in the Ibeno Local Government Area ,as well as other coastal areas of the state.
A boat owner in Ibaka, Mr Effiong Etim, who said he had lost several of his outboard engines to the activities of the sea pirates, lamented that the attacks had become a recurring phenomenon, as all efforts by security agencies to curb their excesses had yielded little or no results.
He said. “Fishing is our main occupation and the only means of our livelihood, regrettably, we are no longer safe at Sea. I have lost two outboard engines to the activities of Sea pirates and each of these engines cost over N3m. We have tried ourselves and our youths have also tried, but the more we try, the more the pirates attack us. This is our predicament. I am using this medium to appeal once again to the security agencies to sustain their operation at Sea in order to curb these attacks.”
Overwhelmed by these attacks, the fishermen under the auspices of “The watch Out Fishermen Cooperative Society, in Ibaka, early last year, staged a peaceful protest to register their grievances to the state and the federal governments.
The protesters chanted solidarity songs along the length and breadth of Ibaka, in Mbo Local government Area, displayed placards with various inscriptions and called on the President, Major General Mohammadu Buhari (retd), to come to their aid.
Some of the inscriptions read “We are tired of paying ransom’’ “Buhari do the needful” We need security in our waterways”
But despite, the protest, sea pirates’ attacks continued unabated and they have even become more daring in their desperation by resorting to calling on the fishermen for settlement before they can venture into the Sea to carry out their fishing business.
The new chairman of the association in Ibaka, Mr Yusuf Okaijah, a Ghanaian, told our correspondent on the phone that last month, the sea pirates attacked and seized seven outboard engines from his members, adding that they had adopted a method of calling the fishermen for settlement before going to the Sea
He said, “Attacks by the pirates at sea happen almost on a daily basis. Last month, they collected seven outboard engines (40 horsepower), we have not seen them this month. They only come occasionally. For eight years now, we have had this ugly experience at sea and we have been doing our best.
“ Now they always call us for settlement, and only when we settle them that they allow us to fish at Sea. We negotiate with them and when they agree, they will tell us where to go and meet them but they will not take us to their hideouts.”
“We have complained this several times to the security agencies, but when they (security agents) go after them on the Sea, they will come back to us that they did not see them”
This lack of commitment on the part of state government and security agencies to the plights of the fishermen has become a source of concern to the fishing communities.
From Ibaka, in the Mbo Local Government Area to Ukpenekang in the Ibeno LGA, the complaint is that sea piracy persists because the state government has yet to show enough commitment to the plights of the fishermen, whose sources of livelihood are being crippled on daily by sea pirates’ attack
A human rights activist and lawyer to the Fishermen Association in Ibaka, Oluwajuwon Ogunbiyi, blamed the recurring attacks on fishermen on a lack of commitment on the part of the state government and the security agencies, said despite the frequency of attacks by the Sea pirates on the hapless fishermen, and the abduction of the Seafarers which happen almost on a daily basis, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, has not considered it necessary to meet with them even for once.
“The security situation along the waterways has not improved at all. The fishermen are still paying the ransom as well as being extorted on daily basis.
“There has not been any meaningful attempt to address the security situation by State Government and security agencies. Governor Udom Emmanuel in particular had never taken the issue of the security of the waterways serious and not for once has he tried to meet with these poor fishermen to listen to their plights.”
In the Ukpenekang community in the Ibeno Local Government Area, fishermen suffered the same fate.
The leader of the Yoruba community in Ukpenekang village, Chief Golden Ogungbemi, told our correspondent that no fewer than 50 outboard engines had been seized between December last year and April, this year, while scores of them had also been kidnapped and even killed.
“Our major problem is the issue of sea pirates. They have been unleashing mayhem on fishermen to the extent that we are no longer going to the sea. The situation is so bad Whenever fishermen to the sea they confront you at gunpoint and seize your outboard engines.
“In March alone, that’s last month, fishermen lost about 30 pieces of outboard engines to the sea pirates. Just this month of April, they came again and dispossess the fishermen of about 20 pieces of outboard engines. Each engine is about N3m .
“This has been a recurring decimal. We have been facing this situation for the past 10 years. Some of the fishermen have been kidnapped and ransom demanded and paid. Most times we pay up to N500,000 for the sea pirates to release our engine to us”, Chief Ogungbemi said.
Lamenting his recent attack one of the victims, Mr Christopher Nathaniel said he was attacked by the hoodlums on Sunday and his engine seized.
“I was attacked on Sunday and my engine boat was stolen. The pirates gave me their phone number and asked me to call them and pay N500,000 to get my engine back which I have done”.
He added “They are quite a number of Marine policemen and navy operatives on the sea. They are protecting oil company facilities and their workers and have never helped us when we are attacked”
However, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command spokesman, Odiko Macdon, faulted the claim the security agencies had not shown many commitments to insecurity in the coastal communities occasioned by Sea pirates attacks.
He said that the new Commissioner of police in the state, Olatoye Durusinmi, had since begun tactical deployments to the affected areas, adding new offensive has been to yield tangible results.
He said that the police and the Navy and other security agencies are collaborating effectively to tackle the menace of Sea pirates attacks around the coastal regions of the state.
“The commissioner of police in the state has taken the issue of sea piracy very seriously, that is why immediately he assumed office, he carried out tactical deployments around the coastal areas. this has paid off in the state.
“The police had rescued over 28 kidnapped victims and recovered their engines while 10 suspected sea pirates had been arrested and currently facing prosecution in the state,” Macdon said, adding that the state government has supported the command with the provision of security in fighting the hoodlums,” Macdon said.
