April 05, (THEWILL) – No fewer than 50 pieces of outboard engines have been seized by hoodlums, suspected to be Sea pirates, between last year December and April 2023, fishermen on the waterways of Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom State have cried out.
The fishermen comprising Ijaw, Yoruba, Obolo and Ghanaians, lamented that they are being robbed on daily basis and dispossessed of their outboard engines by the hoodlums, adding that scores of them have also been kidnapped and some even killed by the daredevil gunmen.
Chief Golden Ogungbemi, the leader of the Yoruba community in Upenekang, Ibeno LGA, said the fishermen are afraid of sailing into the sea, hence the hardship they are experiencing.
According to him, they are helpless, as security operatives at sea have refused to come to their help.
“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 go 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 dispossessed fishermen of about 20 pieces of outboard engines. Each engine costs about N3 million.
“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.
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 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.”
On security, he said, “There 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.”
The State Police Command, through its spokesperson, SP Odiko MacDon, confirmed incidents of attacks on fishermen by sea pirates.
MacDon disclosed that the police have always collaborated with other security agencies, especially the Navy in interceding hoodlums.
He added that the police had rescued over 28 victims and recovered their engines, while 10 suspected sea pirates had been arrested and currently facing prosecution.
