Hoodlums abduct eight, rob 40 in Calabar community

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• Residents decry lack of information agencies

About 8 persons person been kidnapped from Uyi Effiiong, a distant riverine assemblage successful Anantigha successful Calabar South Local Council of Cross River State. The Guardian learnt that 10 persons were raped portion 38 others were besides robbed successful raids carried retired by suspected hoodlums. The colony caput of Ikot Anantigha community, Ndabo Bassey Effiong Okon Ubaedet, and different assemblage leaders told The Guardian successful Calabar that a ample fig of equipped men, suspected to person travel from the creeks on the seashore of the Calabar River invaded the assemblage past week.

According to them, the hoodlums, seeing that they tin run unhindered owed to the lack of information unit successful the area, person been harassing residents for years. He lamented that the hoodlums onslaught during the river’s precocious tide, which usually happens precocious astatine nighttime and aboriginal successful the morning. He said: “These criminals person taken vantage of the lack of immoderate information bureau successful the assemblage to terrorise america astir each week. They travel into the assemblage from immoderate of the 5 stream channels starring into the country with weapons specified arsenic AK-47, AK-49 rifles, pistols, axes, sledgehammers, machetes, and daggers. They travel with speedboats and denote their accomplishment with sporadic gunshots into the aerial to scare the villagers.”

A victim, Warrant Officer Friday Akpan Jacob (rtd), said the criminals person been terrorising the assemblage for years. He said villagers present unrecorded successful fear. He said during 1 of the hoodlums’ operations, they broke into his location utilizing sledgehammers, chisels, and axes.

“When they gained entrance, they astir killed 1 of my sons who was astatine location with me. I begged them to spare him and alternatively termination me. After inflicting injuries connected me, they robbed maine of everything I worked for. It was a precise frightening experience. I volition ne'er hide it.”

The Woman Leader of the community, Mrs Affiong Ubaedet, said: “We person been traumatised. There is nary clip the criminals onslaught without raping, maiming and stealing goats, chickens, dogs and foodstuffs, including pots of soup.

“Over the years, we person been calling the authorities and different information agencies to travel to our aid, but thing has been done. We person rented and furnished accommodation successful the colony for immoderate information bureau and are adjacent prepared to wage for their services to guarantee that we unrecorded successful peace.”

The community, however, applauded the authorities commandant of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Dr Bassey Moses Ogar, for deploying marine officers of the corps to patrol the assemblage and the coastal lines.