Tech and Gadget resellers in Calabar took to streets in Calabar, Cross River on Wednesday protesting over N700 million lost to incessant burglary attacks within the last three months .
The dealers who were armed with placards of various inscriptions described the robberies as an attack on their businesses and source of livelihood.
Some of the protesters carried placards which read:: “businesses cannot function in an unsafe environment,” “my prince, our gadget shops are shutting down,” “phones and gadget shops are shutting down.” “There are no patrol teams in the city of Calabar from 12 am to 6 am, so criminals have an easy ride on us.”
They appealed to the state government and relevant security agencies in the state to save them from the incessant burglary attacks, noting that no fewer than seven shops have been attacked within the last three months.
Spokesman of the dealers, Mr Paschal Obi who put the losses at over N700 million, said they no longer feel safe as “many of my colleagues have suffered enormous losses due to burglaries and robbers .
“Over N700 million has been lost by all the shops collectively, and this is quite huge. These monies largely come from bank loans so government should come to our aid by providing security”, he said.
Also speaking, George Nwosu, the CEO of George Gadgets, said his shop was burgled twice in 2024 alone and the matter was reported to the police and nothing has come out of it yet.
He decried the poor level of insecurity in the metropolis and called for government aid.
On his part, Okoro Benjamin, said two of his shops were burgled on the 10th and 11th of December 2024 and that he lost goods worth over N400 million.
He also pleaded for help in terms of security because most of them are running out of business and have nothing to do.
In a reaction, the Cross River Police Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, said the command is investigating the robberies and will surely get the robbers
She also disclosed that as a temporary measure, the command will put an eye along that axis of the metropolis and place a stationary patrol team along the area for improved security.