No fewer than 18 communities in Effiat, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, are on the verge of being rendered homeless, as water from the Atlantic Ocean takes over most of their lands.

Some of the affected communities, who also lack basic amenities, are Ibuo-Utan, Inua-Abasi and Mbedoro.

Daily Independent discovered that the communities are being eroded daily by water waves from the Atlantic Ocean. Effiat is one of the oil-rich areas in the Niger Delta that host major companies that are into exploration.

At all the communities visited by Daily Independent, it was discovered that water from the Ocean has overtaken a large expanse of what used to be habitable place of abode of the people with signs of buildings that, hitherto, adorn the settlement popping out from parts of the larger body of water during periods of low sea tides.

The Effiat Clan Head, Mr. Edet Asuquo, told Daily Independent during an interview at Inua-Abasi that the communities had lived to see substantial part of their homes being washed away by water backlash from the ocean.

Although, the clan head, just like other village heads that spoke with Daily Independent during the visit to the communities could not link their plight to the exploration activities of oil companies operating few kilometers away from them, they concluded that the rate of wash out has been more frequent in recent times.

"That point there (pointing to a point about four kilometers away in the large water body) was in the heart of this village in the 1980s. But now it is in the centre of the sea," Asuquo said.

Residents at Inua-Abasi also disclosed that an uncompleted Town Hall (which was less than 20 meters away from the water body) fell only last week to the water surge, just as a few other houses at the coastal community have been washed into the water.

At Ibuo-Utan, the story is also not different. Mr. Okon Effiong, a resident of the Ibuo-Utan, said he was leaving in his eighth house. He said that his previous homes were all lying in the water.

"The rate at which the water is pursuing us these days, we are afraid that one day we will wake to find ourselves and our families in the water and we all will perish," he said.

It was also discovered in all communities that were visited in Effiat that basic amenities like health centres, water treatment facilities and schools were non-existent.

Village Head of Mbendoro, Chief Etim Okon Obo, gives an insight of how the people manage to survive during health crisis: "When anyone falls sick and we are unable to control the condition with available local herbs, we have to go all the way to Ibaka, which is about an hour boat ride from Mbendoro, to get treatment. If it's in the night we have to wait until the break of dawn praying for God to sustain the life of the person."

Effiat is an oil-rich community in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, and host to Mobil, Oriental, Moni Pulo, Centrica Energy Resources and Addax.

Besides, the communities are not feeling the impact of the companies. For instance, village head of Ibuo-Utan village, Chief Mathias Okonta, said, "This is how we feel them (pointing to the helicopter flying over the village during this interview)."

The communities are appealing to the federal government and the multinationals through their various heads to come to their aid by reclaiming portions of their lands that had been taken over by water through sand-filling.

Some of the affected communities are Esuk-Enwang , Ibout-Utan, Edebo, Brama, Utan-Effiong, Akwa-Obio, Asiak-Obufa, Obio-Inwang, Mbendoro, Obio-Iyata, Usuk-Effiat, Ine-Ekpo, Aya-Effiat, Inua-Abasi, Utan-Antai and Obong-Nnim.