…Operators shut motor parks early over development…Managers
“… we’ve deployed Anti Kidnapping tactical unit till normalcy return…” -PPRO
There is trepidation among commuters plying the Calabar-Ikom highway following last weekend’s deadly attack on Omaga Odo, a former Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB boss, along the now notorious Uyanga axis of the road
Park operators, managers, drivers as well as commuters have expressed fears, saying that the road was no longer safe as there seems to be attacks on a weekly basis on the particular location where at least 14 persons were recently abducted by gunmen.
Park manger of Ikom/Calabar park at MCC, Rex Abang, said the incident has deeply and adversely affected their activities adding that it was no longer business as usual.
“Most people who travel now only do so because its necessary and urgent too. A lot of people now prefer to leave very early or don’t travel at all. We now have low turn out of passengers as many prefer to simply way bill items because we have noticed an upsurge in this aspect of the business.”
“A lot of the passengers are now afraid to travel , but our appeal to government is to deploy a contractor to the location to fix the bad portion , I sincerely want to commend the police especially the tactical team of the Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad ACKS ( Dragon Squad). The Squad has restored confidence but how long will they be there, because I believe it is only their presence that can restore calm to the area”, Abang said.
The manager of the Calabar/Obudu park at Etta Agbor, Calabar, Joseph Uzembe, informed that they now stopped loading vehicles going to Obudu, once it’s 2pm for fear of being attacked along the Uyanga axis.
He further informed that some government officials had earlier visited them in a bid to hold a security meeting with them but nothing has been done till now.
Uzembe revealed that passenger turn out has nose dived since the first and second incidents, adding that now that there was a third incident, only time will tell what will become of their business , as they ply that route on a daily basis.
“We are ready to corporate with the security agencies to restore normalcy to the area, but there should be remedial works on that portion of the road, because without that, you just have to slow down when you reach that point and that is the window the hoodlums use to launch attacks.
A commuter at the park who pleaded anonymity said that “military personnel posted on the route after the second Incident are now using the opportunity to molest passengers, they should go after the real culprits and leave passengers alone. We are not saying that they shouldn’t search us but they should stop violating passengers because of of hairstyles, they should go after the criminals,” he appealed.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the recent attack on the the former SUBEB boss, said it was quite unfortunate adding that the security has been deployed to the area.
She also revealed that security personnel will be there until normalcy returns and appealed for calm, while urging drivers and commuters to move freely adding that there was no cause for alarm.
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