Suspected hoodlums in Calabar have vandalised the Nigeria Labour Congress building. Also vandalised were the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Cross River State Emergency Management Agency buildings where they carted away food stuff and torched the warehouse.
The hoodlums also destroyed valuables and equipment worth millions of Naira at the office of the Department of Petroleum Resources, the warehouse in the Ministry of Works, the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency, Value Mart supermarket and the Cross River Newspaper Corporation, “Chronicle”.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited the affected buildings on Saturday, reports that the ‘protesters’ carted away food stuff, office equipment including generators, air conditioners, computers, chairs, internet facilities among others.
NAN reports that most of the destruction took place at night in spite of the 24 hours curfew imposed by the state government.
However, Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River, while addressing the state in a broadcast on Saturday in Calabar, said the #EndSARS protest had taken a different dimension in the state.
“The #ENDSARS protest is a protest and a fight that all of us have identified with and we stand by you at this moment.
“It offers a great opportunity for us in leadership to recognize the anguish, the pain, the agony and frustration you feel and like I said in my earlier address, I stand with you in this difficult time.
“But great Cross Riverians, if we destroy our own assets as a state with one of the lowest allocations in the country, we will not have the ability to rebuild,” he said.
The governor noted that he has taken note of the concerns of the youths and measures were being taken to address them.
“Cross Riverians, this is not the time to pass blames, this is not the time to exact vengeance.
“Every politician must have his political opponents who think differently but at this time, let the fear of God prevail because Nigeria is at a very challenging moment.
“Let us overcome this situation across the country and have reasons to celebrate the ability to survive it.
“Please, we have learnt our lessons, give us the opportunity to make amends. No human is perfect. Whatever your concerns are, please let the spirit of Cross River take over.
“I plead with you, using the blood of Jesus that please let us forgive each other and come together as a state. Let us be united at this hour and fish out the people who infiltrated our state,” the governor said. (NAN)
