Calabar, Nigeria – Phone and tech accessory dealers have taken to the streets of Calabar to demonstrate what they called a security threat to their businesses after losing almost a billion naira to burglars within a short period. This is coming barely 24 hours after traders protested against the planned demolition of their shops in Ogoja.
Some of the victims and others who trade in phones and accessories, while demonstrating the level of insecurity in their businesses at Eta-Agbor in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State, on Wednesday, called on the Government and Security Agencies to come to their aid.
The peaceful demonstrators were carrying placards with the following messages: “Sweet Prince, save us from incessant burglars attacks, we need security”, “We pay our taxes, so our businesses should be protected #EndArmedRobbery”, “My Prince, our gadgets are shutting down,” “End insecurity in Calabar”, and “Phone and gadget shops are shutting down due to insecurity.”
Others are, “Our gadgets shop is under attack daily”, “Governor Otu save our businesses, they are collapsing due to constant robbery”, “Businesses cannot function in an unsafe environment,” and “There are no patrol teams in the city of Calabar from 12 AM – 6 AM”.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the demonstration, Paschal Bajie, Owner of Mock Gadgets Store located at Eta-Abor Roundabout, said phones and gadgets that have been robbed in the Calabar metropolis are worth over N700 million within a year.
Bajie, who narrated the incessant burgling of their shops, said three of his colleagues’ shops were burgled last week, calling on Governor Bassey Otu to come to their aid so as not to add to the unemployment rate in the state.
“Recently, one of our colleagues’ shop was burgled, and the shop is directly opposite a cooking gas station where they bolster private security. They [burglars] tied down the security guard who tried to intervene before burgling the shop.
“Last weekend, two of my other colleagues’ shops were burgled, one the shop name is MJ Gadgets at Marian. They went away with all of his phones and laptops that were in the shop. They took their time to break the safe and took away everything.
“So, we are begging the government to come to our aid and bring more security personnel to places where businesses are located. The monetary value of what they took is over N700 million from all the shops.
“We pay our tax in Cross River State, so at least we should be protected; our businesses, which are our only source of livelihood, should protected.
“Most of the money we used to do these businesses are loans from banks; how do you expect us to start paying these loans when they’ve taken all our goods? Prince Bassey Otu should come to our rescue so we can at least sleep in peace while we are doing our businesses
“We have a lot of people we’ve employed. If they take our goods, how do we take care of our employees? If they take our goods, how do we survive? What source of livelihood do we fall back on?
“As the Chief Security Officer of the states, if he cannot help us, then he’s asking us to go back to our villages or probably go back to other states that are more secure to do business,” Bajie fumed.
Also speaking, one of the victims, Okoro Uchennaya, owner of Chidon Communications, said his shop was robbed twice of goods worth N400 million within 24 hours.
“I am the owner of Chidon Communications, I sell phones and other gadgets. My two shops were robbed on December 10th and December 11th last year at night. On these occasions – I wake up to empty shops, all my goods, all my phones, everything, taken away.
“The goods in both shops are worth over N400 million. I’ve reported the matter to the police and I am begging the state government to come to my aid. If there’s any way they can help, they should help me because, since that time, I haven’t had anything to do again,” Uchennaya cried out.
Another victim, George Nwosu, CEO of George Gadgets, said his shop was also burgled twice last year with gadgets worth millions of naira carted away.
According to him, “On the 1st of January and on the 3rd of February, my shop located at No. 45 Eta-Abor Road was burgled. I went to the police to report the incident. Some policemen came to my shop and took videos and pictures of what happened. Since then, I have not been able to recover the things that were stolen from my shop.
“Goods of over N40 million were stolen from my shop. I want the government to help us increase security measures in Calabar because if nothing happens, I will relocate to another state where it’s safe now. I have it in mind because Calabar is no longer safe.
“Other of my colleagues’ shops were buckled as of last week and this week and nothing is being done.”
Recall that Governor Otu in a media chat on February 17, disclosed that he has improved the security situation of the state compared to how he met it.
According to him, “I took an oath to protect the lives and properties of the state,” adding, “We are operating a zero-crime tolerance in the state.”
The Governor also reformed the state’s internal security, rebranding Operation Akpakwu to Operation Okwok.
When contacted on the phone on Tuesday, the Acting Zone 6 Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Edim Obazi Eyam, said the command has not had such reports, promising to make more findings.
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