About 14 individuals have reportedly died between last December and April this year in Okoroutip, an oil bearing community in Ibeno local government area Akwa Ibom state from water borne diseases.

The Nation gathered that natives of the community do not have access to potable drinking water as their only source of water is from contaminated stagnant ponds.

The community is also threatened by frequent flood incidents and water surge resulting in the displacement of natives and destruction of houses.


A youth leader of the village, Mr. Henry Ekpe Nkan lamented that they depend on existing ponds and other stagnant water that flows from creeks as their daily drinking water.

“As a riverine area where there is no bush to dispose waste, the community dispose faeces and other organic substances in the water and still drink from it.”

He said this unhealthy disposition threw the entire community into water borne epidemic that has claimed fourteen lives from December last year.