Pirates Terrorise Calabar-Oron Sea Route As Calabar-Itu Road Remains Impassable

Those travelling from Akwa Ibom to Calabar through the Oron or Uyo sea route will find it difficult to make the trip from now, following the activities of sea pirates who appear to have taken full control of the sea routes.

Travelers have had to rely on the sea route for trips to and from Calabar, as the Calabar-Itu Road which project is being handled by the federal government is not making any meaningful progress.

Most of those who travel to or out of the Cross River State capital during the yuletide through the road had a hell of experience due to the deplorable condition of the road. Between the contractors and the federal government, it is not clear who is to blame for the slow pace of work on the Calabar-Itu Road.

Travelers are now in a fix due to the uncertainty surrounding safety on the sea route. The activities of sea pirates have made travelling experience very nasty.

A traveler who used the Calabar-Oron sea route recently and gave his name as Clement Isok, from Uyo shared his experience and warned people to avoid the sea route for now.

He wrote: “Yesterday, I travelled via (name of boat company withheld) transport service, only to find ourselves in the cross hairs of heavily armed bandits hiding in the creeks.

“The boat I was on came under attack, with the bandits targeting and shooting at our engines. Initially, passengers mistook the gunfire for an engine backfire, but it soon became clear that our lives were at risk. Fortunately, our boat managed to escape unscathed, but the same cannot be said for others who travelled this route earlier in the day.

“Tragically, two naval officers lost their lives in a confrontation with these bandits, and a police boat was captured. The Navy has since warned the transport company to suspend operations until the security situation improves.

“In light of this disturbing incident, I urge all members to exercise extreme caution when considering travel along this route. The risks are real, and the consequences can be deadly.”