Efio-Ita Nyok|7 July 2016|9:45am
Yesterday 6 July, the residents of Calabar, Cross River State capital city were held to a hostage in broad daylight by men of the underworld. An armed robbery incident transpired at the famous Marian Road, an axis of the state capital reputed to being a business hub.
Ifere Paul, a public policy analyst, has taken out time to document how the savaged sect terrorised the city, probably as a show of welcome to the anticipated visit of the now called 'Diaspora Governor', Ben Ayade. Besides, in this report I will be giving account of other armed robbery incidents as documented by social media change agent, Barr Joseph Odok, and the perspective of Simon Utsu on the Marian Road robbery activity. Excerpt:
Robbers Held Residents Of Marian Road Hostage In Broad Day Light.
—By Ifere Paul
The residents of Marian Road Calabar were shocked today, the 6th of July, moment after the Governor, Prof Ben Ayade landed into the city.
The robbers numbering about 6 persons with sophisticated weapons robbed shops between Samsung Electronic Stores down to Crunches.
Surprised eye witnesses said that one of the robber with red clothe tied around the noogle of his AK-47, and with ammunition thrown over his shoulder was seen walking gallantly as he was shooting sporadically into the air.
Other residents said that the robbers robbed a car stand just opposite Eyo Ita building on Marian Road.
People who were in Crunches enjoying themselves ran out of the place believing that Crunches might the next target. But after robbing the Car Stand, the robbers stepped into their brand new Toyota Camry which they might have robbed or snatched at gun point, and drove off
Other eye witnesses said that the police did not respond to calls to come to rescue the situation. Another eye witness said that the police only came 40 minutes after the operation, and has promised to arrest the robbers.
Last week, militants and cultists overshadowed and took over the security guards at the governor's office demanding for payments of their stipends. Until now, the Chief press secretary and SA to the governor on media has denied that the militants did not take over government house. But that they only demonstrated the lack of payment of their stipends.
The insecurity in Calabar is high, and members of the public are left on their own as the governor has refused to sign an MoU with China, Canada or any other foreign nation to tackle insecurity.
What is Calabar turning into? A place for bloodshed? Please report robbery and kidnapping incidence around your area.
These is the information at my desk
—By Joseph Odok
About Monday or Tuesday last week Niger Insurance and Guarantee building was robed
Same day Mayne Avenue a Camry car was stolen and dropped for a jeep
Sweet Dreams hotel was robbed some few days ago
Few days later there was robbery around Atekong area, girls were rapped and a guy shot
Two days ago there was robbery close to Hall 2 area UNICAL
Yesterday broad day around 12.30-1.00pm Marian road close to Mr Fans area was robbed
Yesterday while in the Police Station State housing, a report of three boys rapping one girl around Mbukpa area
#operationLetsKnowTheyTheyHaveRobbedInYourArea
Earlier today, dare devil, heavily armed robbers held the commercial nerve centre of the capital city of my home state, Cross River hostage for hours.
—Simon Utsu
The siege occurred along the length of Marian road, which like I said earlier, is the commercial nerve centre and the only high street Calabar boasts of.
To put this into perspective, it's equivalent to robbers taking over the entire length of Broad Street or Bode Thomas in Lagos or Pound Road in Aba or TransAmadi in Portharcourt or Aminu Kano Crescent-Wuse 2, Abuja for hours with no single challenge coming from security forces.
Whilst this was happening, the Governor, His Excellency oops, sorry, his imperial majesty, Senator Professor Ben Ayade strolled into town after so many weeks away and was inspecting some dirt piles with his entourage. I can't say if his plan was to scoop some of the refuse and take it abroad and use as a sample for an anti-refuse MoU, all I can say is, this level of insecurity is unprecedented in the history of Calabar.
In my entire life, I've never heard or read of robbers holding the commercial nerve centre of Calabar hostage before, this is a new low and it's sad that it's happening under Gov Ayade.
Is it so difficult for the governor to come up with a tangible solution ASAP? Because from the look of things, these dare devil miscreants will soon make Calabar uninhabitable, which would lead to residents fleeing town in their droves. Suffice it to say, anarchy looms.
The rate and quality of armed robbery incidents in the state is increasingly becoming alarming. First, it was the eyesore incidented by poor waste management in the state capital; it then proceeded to cultists gang clash that took over 20 lives; now, it is armed robbery even in broad day light!
The first responsibility of the state is the protection of life and property. If the state has failed in this responsibility, I am afraid, it has failed in all!
I am therefore calling on His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, to address this thorny but basic issue and regain the confidence of the indigenes and residents of the state in his administration.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)