Tragic! Eight Children Drown In Akwa Ibom State

Atang river Photo credit: Punch

Following the heavy downpour of rain over the weekend in Ikot Abia-Enyie in the Nsit Atai local government area of Akwa Ibom State, eight students returning from school have drowned in Atang River.

The river is said to be located in the middle of Ikot Abia-Enyie village, with all the facilities in the area, a health centre, a primary and a secondary school located on the other side of the river. Chief Etop Umanah, the chairman of the village council, said the pupils drowned in the river following a downpour which caused the river to overflow its bank.



Umanah stated that it was the custom of the villagers to wait for the pupils and women at the bank of the river after the closing hours whenever there was a downpour. “This village, Abia-Enyie, lost the eight children to the Atang River as they were returning from school following a downpour which aided the river to overflow its bank,” he said.

The chairman of the council added that before the pupils could be rescued the river had taken them away and their corpses were recovered three days later. According to him 3 pupils and a pregnant woman died in the river last year, noting that the pupils were also coming back from school, while the pregnant woman was try to make her way back from the health centre.

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

Ekong Sampson, the commissioner for rural development, said the state government was making efforts to end all deaths associated with the Atang River.