CROSS River Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has tightened security in Calabar, hours after he joined security forces to patrol major streets in the state capital.
Along Marian Road alone, about eight detachment of security personnel drawn from all the forces, where seen at strategic locations.
Ayade had, on Saturday defied the rain to team up with service commanders to carry out the Operation Show of Force.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the exercise, Ayade explained that the exercise was a deliberate measure to let miscreants know that his team was in absolute control of the entire situation.
“We are out here as a show of force to demonstrate that we are in absolute control and we are going to keep Calabar totally safe,” adding that “we have done a complete surveillance of all the possible routes, all the water areas through which these criminals escape.
“We know who they are, security and intelligence reports have shown clearly, the people who are behind all these activities and I can assure the people of Cross River State that Calabar is, indeed, peaceful and they should go about their legitimate businesses peacefully.”
The governor affirmed that all specific locations have been marked just as he said access to waterfronts would be cut off.
He also hinted that “we are also embarking on a door-to-door search and cordoning off Calabar to ensure that nobody exits without a thorough search.”
On measures to sustain the exercise, the governor explained that as “a fallout of our security meeting last Friday and today (Saturday), we will reduce some of our spendings while transferring some of the overheads to guarantee sufficient ammunition as well as other security and logistics support.”
Cross River Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Ozi- Obeh assured that his men will continue to protect the lives and property of residents of the state.