Eight primary school pupils, from a primary school in Ikot Abia-Enyie in Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State had perished in Atang river on their way back from school over the weekend.
The river, is said to be 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, chairman of the village council, who conducted newsmen round the area over the weekend , said the pupils drowned in the water following the downpour which led to the river overflowing its bank.
Umanah stated that it was the custom of the village to wait for the pupils and women at the bank of the river during the schools' closing hours whenever there was downpour.
He noted that it was unfortunate that before the men from the village could get to the river to rescue the pupils, the water had already carried them away. He added that their corpses were recovered three days after.
The village chairman revealed that in the preceding year three pupils and a pregnant woman died in the same river, noting that as the pupils tried to come back from school, the pregnant woman was trying to make her way back from the health centre.
"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. Last year, we lost three pupils and a pregnant woman in the same manner.
"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 school are all sited at the other side of the river. We cannot stop the children from going to school," he said.
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