Follow Us on Google
Judex Okoro, Calabar
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has imposed a 24-hour curfew in the state following the looting of COVID-19 and SEMA warehouses in Calabar.
The statement signed by Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the governor, Mr Christian Ita, said it became imperative to restore law and order within the state.
It reads in part: “Following the hijacking of the peaceful protest against police brutality in the state by hoodlums, the state governor, Sir Ben Ayade has imposed a 24-hour curfew in the state starting from 6pm on Friday, October 23, 2020. Residents of the state are advised to observe the curfew as security agents have been mandated to arrest anybody who flouts it.”
The COVID-19 palliative warehouse is located within the premises of the Cross River State Property Investment Limited (CROSPIL) and behind the Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa while the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, is located at Barracks road.
Items carted away include noodles, rice, beans, water, garlic, Maggie, grounding oil and salt . Earlier in the day, hundreds of youths took to the streets to register their angst against the killing of their colleagues in Lekki.
The youths chanted #EndSARS continuously and waved the Nigerian flag as they moved unhindered across Marian road and highway. Howerver, trouble started when some of the protesting youths insisted on going to the warehouse to check if there are still some palliatives.
While the leaders tried to calm them down, a few stubborn ones headed straight to the warehouse and broke into the palce and discovered that a large quantity of the food items.
A witness and a resident of State Housing Estate, Eyo Eyo Edet, said they were shocked to see youths running into the warehouse premises carting away various food items.
As the time of sending this report, hundreds of youths were seen ruuning through IBB Way, Eto Ita to SEMA warehouse at Barracks road searching for food. At SEMA warehouse, the angry youths equally broke into the palce about 6:30 pm and carted away thousands of bags of food items meant for disaster victims.
It was learnt that the SEMA warehouse has been set on fire by the mob.
It was also gathered that about 12noon, dozens of masked youths stormed the secretariat of the Calabar South Local Government at Anantigha and carted away pieces of furniture, computers, office equipment and other valuables worth millions of Naira.
