By Chidi Levi
It was supposed to be the #Endsars protest, but it turned out to be, an Armageddon on a visit.
Yes, Armageddon paid Calabar a grim visit, bestrode the city like a colossus, unchallenged, leaving behind an unmitigated carnage, tears and sorrow.
Residents of Calabar will not forget 24th of October 2020 in a hurry. It was the day their sleepy and serene city was violently violated by hoodullums masquerading under $EndSARS protest.
By the time the dust settled, the Cross River State capital wore a gory picture of a war zone with war scars as a reminder of unprecedented descent into anarchy.
Looting, Arson and Sporadic Gunshots
The hoodlums came well armed – they wielded guns, broken bottles, matches, planks, rods etc. And rained gunshots on the city, thus signalling wanton looting and arson never before witnessed in any Nigerian city.
ValueMart, a well stocked upscale Supermarket located at the popular Marian road was stripped bare by the militants.
Said to be owned by the state’s former First lady, Obioma Imoke, not even electrical fittings remained in the once imposing supermarket.
After looting its contents, militants reduced the facility to rubbles, smashing widows and doors.
The warehouse containing COVID-19 pallatlives, also, suffered similar fate.
WAEC office, Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, NYSC office and a GSM shop, all located along the Murtala Muhammed Way popular as Highway, were completely looted, clinically stripped of all items, including furniture, electrical fittings, electrical gadgets etc.
It was an agonising sight as documents, suspected to be candidate’s results from WAEC office littered a large stretch of the highway.
The imposing Calabar International Conference Centre, CICC, located off the Highway close to Tinapa free trade zone was swept totally, divested of chairs, rugs, Air Conditioners, fans, in fact, everything.
A petrol station situated in the same axis, allegedly, owned by a member of governor Ben Ayade’s family, was completely vandalised.
Also, totally vandalised and destroyed, was the building housing the state owned newspaper, Chronicles, apparently because the facility also houses the Cross River state Emmergency Management Agency, SEMA.
Brazenly looted was the multi- billion Naira state owned garment factory.
Politicians’ Residences Targeted
Senator Gershon Bassey, representing Cross River South in the senate, former Senate Majority leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, Bassey Otu, among other Cross River politicians are left with varying tales of woes arising from the Calabar brigandry as their palatial mansions tasted the fury of the hoodullums.
Senator Bassey’s magnificent mansion at Calabar south, known as White House, was initially reported to have been burnt down, but it later turned out that the militants made bonfire close to the building before proceeding to completely loot it.
The militants could be seen dragging furniture and other valuables from the house.
Senator Ndoma’s residence at Esara eso area of the Calabar municipality equally suffered similar fate.
And Soldiers, Police Watch While Calabar burn
The militants, indeed, had a field as security agents sat and watch while spine- chilling mayhem was unleashed on Calabar. In fact, rather than confront the looters at Gershon Bassey’s house, the soldiers actually persuaded them not to set it alight.
Security agents’ inaction against the brigands, it was gathered, stemmed from Governor Ayade’s broadcast a day earlier, ordering them not to fire a shot while containing the situation.
However, it was gathered that the soldiers stood down action, firstly because it had no orders to intervene, and secondly because it didn’t want a repeat of the Lekki toll gate, Lagos saga where the army was accused of complicit in the shooting of protesters.
Reign of Warlords
From the Odukpani junction off the Itu-calabar highway, onward the Murtala Muhammed highway, various Commanders of the militants and their foot soldiers, brandishing dangerous weapons, carved out areas of control, complete with road blocks.
Motorists who braved the danger to attempt driving into Calabar were stopped and made to pay “toll gate fee”
Many of such roadblocks are separated by just a pole from the one mounted by soldiers who merely waved at the vehicles.
On both sides of the road, hundreds of people, young and old, who either were gifted some of the looted items or participated in the looting under the cover and protection of the armed militants, could be seen dragging their loot along, others riding on motorbikes with them.
The Akwa Ibom Connection
Not a few Cross Riverians are emphatic that the hoodullums who turned Calabar upside down, Saturday, invaded the city from the neighbouring Akwa ibom state. They insist that no true born of Cross River would unleash such magnitude of carnage on the city.
Invasion from the Sea?
From the Calabar river, off the Atlantic ocean, Oron, a riverine town in Akwa Ibom, is just 20 minutes by boat. Allegations are rife that the perpetrators of the Calabar mayhem are cultists and kidnappers from Akwa Ibom state who invaded the city by boat. It is being alleged, also, that most of the loots were conveyed to Akwa Ibom in several boats.
In fact, from the safety of the Itu- Calabar highway, a police officer, enjoying a ride with The Source magazine, after bitterly complaining of what he described as the sub-human condition junior police officers are subjected to, declared “The same boys that looted Uyo have now moved to Calabar”.
Calabar South, notorious for all forms of criminalities, including kidnapping, drug peddling, armed robbery, cultism, is said to be haven for criminals.
Comprehensive list of businesses, organisations and residences either looted or destroyed by hoodlums who invaded Calabar
25 Spark shops Calabar
26 Eco bank
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Share your story or advertise with us: WhatsApp: +2348174884527, Email: [email protected]
