Five members of same family were among ten persons that got drowned and died in a boat mishap off the coast Mbo Council Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The five-member family came from Udung Uko Local Government Area of the state, it was learnt.
The victims were reportedly returning from a fishing settlement, Ine Ataobong in Bakassi Peninsula, when they sailed into a fierce storm which capsized their outboard engine boat.
It was also learnt that two persons were lucky to survive the tragedy.
One of the survivors’ relation, Mrs. Eno Effai, lamented that there was no life jacket in the boat for the passengers.
Effai, who deals in sea foods described the incident as tragic, saying: “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 civil society group, Mbo Concerned Citizens, has advocated for the establishment of a Coast Guard to assist victims of boat mishap.
The group’s Coordinator, Uloj Amba, in a statement, said the Coast Guard would help government checkmate nefarious activities of sea pirates in the waterways.
The statement read: “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.”
