Eight pupils, pregnant woman drown in mysterious river in Akwa Ibom

A small brook, known as Atang River in Nsit Atai local government area of Akwa Ibom State has drowned eight pupils and a pregnant woman. The victims died while trying to negotiate the wooden bridge constructed over it.

It was gathered that the eight pupils were on their way from a primary school in their village known as Ikot Abia-Enyie but perished in the river, which depth had increased due to heavy downpour between the morning and afternoon on that fateful day.

The river is said to have cut the village into two; with all the facilities in the area – a health centre, a pri­mary school and a second­ary school, located at one side of the river, while the other section is left with only the residential houses forcing the inhabitants to make the deadly journey each time they need to ac­cess medical and health facilities.

The chairman of the vil­lage council, Chief Etop Umanah, told newsmen at the weekend that the pu­pils drowned in the water following the downpour, which led to the river overflowing its bank.

Umana said the development had since forced parents and husbands to wait at the bank of the river for their children and wives to cross the river to the other side so as to prevent a re­currence of the tragedies.

“This village, Abia- Enyie lost eight children to Atang River this year as they were returning from school following a down­pour which aided the river to overflow its bank.

“The village is one vil­lage; it is split by this river. All the facilities of this village – a health centre, a primary school and a secondary school are all located at the other side of the river. We cannot stop the children from going to school,” he said.

The state Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Ekong Sampson, told journalists that the Akwa Ibom State Government was ready to end not only the pupils’ death, but also all the deaths associated with Atang River.

“That is why I have per­sonally chosen to come here. I am really touched by what I have seen. We will make every effort to ensure that infrastructure is brought to this commu­nity and to every other ru­ral area in the state. And our approach is to go there and see things by our­selves in order to have a first-hand preview of their problems”, he said.

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