SEA pirates, who operated in Mbo Local Government Council axis of the Gulf of Guinea, last week drowned a seven-month old baby.
It was learnt that when the pirates struck in Effiat in Mbo Local Government Area, the baby’s mother concealed her money in the baby’s sanitary pad.
The pirates, who seized five boats loaded with crayfish and collected sums of money from fishermen, were said to have found the money in the sanitary pad where the woman concealed it after thorough search.
Angered by the finding, the pirates were said to have taken the baby from the mother and threw it violently into the sea where the baby drowned.
The development was presented as a matter of urgent public importance by a member representing Mbo State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Asuquo Ufuo, on Friday.
He stated that Mbo people had suffered untold hardship in the hands of sea pirates, who attacked them and other surrounding coastal communities in the state without restraint.
“Our people are living in fear. Sea pirates unleash mayhem on them at any given time. They cannot go to sea to fish; and at sea, the pirates will ambush them and dispossess them of money and whatever they can find on them. They also steal their outboard engines and boats.
“Most shocking is the woman, who upon sighting approaching militants/pirates decided to conceal her money in her baby’s sanitary pad.
“After the bandits had finished dispossessing residents of their money and were about to leave, they suddenly returned and asked the woman to surrender her money.
“The woman was said to have pleaded that there was no money with her, the pirates decided to conduct a thorough search and in the process, they discovered the concealed money. They took the baby from the mother and wickedly drowned the baby after taking the money,” he said.
The Speaker, AKHA, Mr. Aniekan Uko, had mandated the House Committee on Security to embark on investigation and report their findings to the House as quickly as possible for necessary action to be taken.
The PUNCH has been reporting on frequent attacks of Mbo and Ibeno fishing communities by sea pirates and militants.
On April 24, 2014, pirates around 6.45pm, attacked about 18 fishing boats and seized outboard engines, fishing nets, fish, and other equipment spread between Mbo and Ibeno high seas, in Akwa Ibom State.
The pirates, who were said to be 18 in number, launched the attacks from three speed boats. And since the beginning of this year, fishermen have fled fishing settlements, as pirates have made the places uninhabitable
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