No fewer than eight persons including a pregnant woman were said to have drowned while crossing a mysterious stream in Ikot Abia Enye village in Nsit Atai local government area of Akwa Ibom State.
Narrating the pathetic story to newsmen, the village chairman of Ikot Abia Enye, Pastor Etop Brownson, said that the stream popularly called Atan Stream which is the only link between the village and other communities in the area has claimed several lives including school children.
He said that the mysterious stream has been a source of worry to the entire community because it is the only way through which one could pass to reach the neighbouring communities.
Similarly, the secretary to the village council, Mr. Essien Etukudo Itang, told newsmen that the development is pathetic, adding that it is sad that the state government has over the years not been able to complete the proposed bridge over the mysterious stream to save lives especially of school children who are forced to swim across the stream on daily basis.
He said that the community has been facing untold hardship due to the non-completion of the bridge.
The state commissioner for rural development, Barrister Ekom Sampson, who visited the area, sympathised with the community and assured that the new government of Udom Emmanuel would see to the timely completion of the bridge to save the people from their anguish.
“A stream of such nature that has claimed several lives even now could be dangerous and the government would not allow such to continue”, he said.
He assured that residents of the community would soon heave a sigh of relief as government would do everything within its power to stop the loss of lives.
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