The Akwa Ibom State Police command says plans are in progress to mobilize more Marine Police to patrol the waterways in order to check the surge in crime and criminality perpetrated by sea pirates.
The Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, said the command is aware of criminal activities plauging Riverine areas in the state in the last three months.
Durosinmi, who listed the affected coastal routes to include Efiat- Mbo, Oron -Calabar, Ibeno -Eastern Obolo, Inen Ekeffe-Ogoni-Bonny Island in Rivers State and other adjoining creeks in the state, said reports revealed how sea pirates, and other criminals use waterways from Ekeffe waterfront to penetrate the state to commit havoc and then escape to neighboring Rivers State.
He pointed out that the command has also received reports of how nefarious activities of sea pirates on the waterways have contributed to both the scarcity and high cost of seafood especially fish in the markets.
According to him, “Having known all these atrocities, we will soon begin aggressive manhunt on the sea pirates who are determined to make our waterways unsafe for both passengers and fishermen.
“Very soon such criminals will be arrested and brought to book. Marine police will be deployed to those areas to keep the pirates at bay.”
Continuing, the commissioner said, “Let me appreciate Akwa Ibom state governor Udom Emmanuel for providing boats for police to patrol the state waterways. We have received the first batch of the boats from government.
“We will soon deploy Marine police patrol team to all waterways in the state. Regular patrol of the waterways will certainly check crime and criminality along the waterways. All the complaints of fishermen and passengers travelling by water will soon come to an end” the CP said
