Traders, transporters and travellers along the Calabar-Oron-Bakassi waterways are bemoaning their fate over increased attacks by sea pirates which have in the last few days, brought socio-economic activities in the area to standstill.
It was gathered that worst hit are the fish sellers at the Henshaw town beach market in Calabar, known in local parlance as Urua Esuk Nsidung. The market is where large quantity of assorted fish and bags of crayfish from Bakassi peninsular and other fishing settlements are sold to traders across the country on wholesale prices.
Our reporter, who monitored the development at the beach market Thursday, learnt that this has forced both large stick boats which ply the route as well as Oron/Calabar speed boat owners, fish traders and other businessmen to withdraw services.
Traders and transporters, who spoke to our reporter, said gun throttling pirates terrorise the waterway with gusto without any form of resistance from the Nigerian law enforcement agencies.
They disclosed that the armed pirates, believed to have operational camps along Bakassi/Akpabuyo creeks, normally patrol the waterway with speedboats powered by gigantic outboard engines, accost any boat in sight and would, in a commando-style operation, make away with victims’ money, other personal belongings like handsets as well as fish and crayfish amongst other things.
Speaking, chairman of Boat Owners Association, Mr Nkereuwem Edet Bassey, described the development as disturbing, saying his people have lost their business capital running into millions of Naira to the sea pirates.
“What is happening is very disturbing. What do they want us to do now in this difficult period? The militants have blocked everywhere and our government is behaving as if it is not aware. We were planning a peaceful demonstration when the naval authorities in Calabar invited us to a meeting on the matter. We told them what our people are passing through and they appealed to us not to protest and that they were going to do something.
“The truth is that if our security forces live up to expectation by policing the waterway adequately, those bandits could be sent packing but if the police and the navy continue with this lukewarm attitude, there is the tendency the attacks would continue.”
