Chairmen, councillors now operate from Calabar Governor appeals for extension of ‘Operation Delta Safe’ to state
Bassey Inyang in Calabar and Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
Armed
militias have taken control of two local government areas in Cross
River State and displaced virtually every civil authority in the area,
THISDAY has learnt. The militia, generally believed to be members of
Bakassi Strike Force, had been operating in the area for some time. But
they recently seized control of Bakassi and Akpabuyo local government
areas, displacing both civil and traditional authorities in the
councils.
It was reliably gathered that the elected chairmen of
the two local governments had fled the area for several month now, while
the councillors hold their legislative sittings in Calabar. The
secretariats of both local councils have also been deserted by civil
servants for fear of being kidnapped or attacked by the militants.
To
try to stem the slide into anarchy, the state governor, Professor Ben
Ayade, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the
activities of “Operation Delta Safe”, a security taskforce protecting
oil installations in the Niger Delta, to Cross River State. Ayade said
his state should not to be isolated in the battle to keep the Niger
Delta safe. He also promised to increase the firepower of the state’s
security taskforce, “Operation Skolombo.”
Militancy has gripped
Cross River State for the past few months. And militants are being
blamed for an increasing wave of kidnapping, armed robbery, and other
criminal activities, especially, in Calabar, the state capital.
But
Bakassi and Akpabuyo local government areas, which share maritime
boundary with Cameroon, recently became a lawless, anarchic zone in
which militants rule. It was discovered that the militants collected
rents and levies from people doing business in the council areas, which
they termed “protection money”, a situation that has made many people to
flee.
The militants are said to have also rendered the state
judicial organs and the traditional institutions in Akpabuyo and Bakassi
local governments impotent, as the militias now handle matters that
should otherwise be handled by the conventional courts, village heads,
clan chiefs, and paramount rulers.
A source conversant with the
situation, but pleaded not to be named, said, “There is total anarchy
there now, and people are actually running to Cameroon now for help.
First of all, the local government chairmen in both places don’t go to
office, and they have not gone to office over the past one and a half
years. They have written, complained, begged, and appealed, to no avail.
“The
legislatures in those places don’t meet at the local government
headquarters. They hold their meetings in Calabar so as to fulfil the
statutory requirements that they hold a certain number of meetings in a
session.
“So, effectively, there is no governance in those areas.”
The source said the locals had made a failed bid to contain the armed men.
“The
traditional institutions have tried to fight, but they can no longer
sustain the fight. They don’t have guns, they don’t have money,” the
source stated. “What we have now is that militants have set up a
parallel government. They are the ones that resolve land disputes, they
are the ones that resolve family disputes, and if husband and wife
quarrel they go to militants. Of course, their methods are crude but
effective.
“They rely on jungle justice, they cane people. Culprits pay fines of goats, drinks, and money.”
Though,
as gathered, there are police posts and soldiers stationed in the
areas, the security agents appear to be overwhelmed by the militants.
When
contacted, the chairman of Akpabuyo Local Government Area, Mr. Patrick
Ene Okon, refused to speak on the issue. But the chairman of Bakassi
Local Government Area, Mrs. Edisua Usang Iso, admitted that militants
were operating in her council area. She, however, denied that the
activities of the militants were affecting the administration of the
council. Iso said, though, the council had lost substantial revenue to
their activities, the federal government should grant amnesty to them
and incorporate them into the federal government’s amnesty programme for
Niger Delta militants.
The Bakassi local government chairman,
who spoke with THISDAY in Calabar, denied abdicating her duties and
deserting the council secretariat, saying she goes to Bakassi whenever
it is necessary.
However, confirming the occupation of the
Bakassi area on Friday, when he addressed the press on the security
situation in the state, Ayade vowed that the militants will be dislodged
from the area.
The governor said, “The three kingpins, we have
identified their homes, we have the coordinates of their armoury, we
have a clear picture of their modus operandi and we are working on a
massive attack. I speak as the United States would do. They let you know
that they are coming for you and they will come after you.
“We
are coming after them. We know all the militants who are now parading
and taking full occupation of Bakassi. We would free the people of
Bakassi. The people of Bakassi have seen enough pain. Lands taken, oil
wells taken, reduced to want in spirit, body and economy, we cannot
afford also to create a perilous nightmare for the same people.”
Addressing
newsmen yesterday at the Peace Park, Calabar, shortly after a five-hour
security council meeting, the governor, accompanied by service
commanders in the state, as well as his security adviser, unveiled a new
security agenda aimed at containing the emerging threat in the state.
He added, “Cross River is known as the home state of tourism, Calabar is
known as the destination for African hospitality. Anything that will
impinge on the integrity, knowledge, wealth and values of the state must
be resisted by Cross Riverians and Nigerians.”
He
explained that as part of the new strategy, his administration had
decided to increase the budgetary provision for security, saying, “We
will provide additional 30 vehicles to cover Calabar city centre,
increase the firepower of ‘Operation Skolombo,’ expand our security
network and introduce Cross River State Homeland Security Service that
will provide intelligence report to Operation Skolombo and other
security agencies in the state.”
Ayade disclosed that a total of 47
criminals had been arrested in the wake of the recent security threats
in the state capital, saying, “None of those arrested are Cross
Riverians and that clearly underscores the fact that the culture,
integrity, character and honour of the people of the state have not
changed.”
On cultism, which the governor said was beginning to
resurface, he warned, “We, as an administration, are going to take
deliberate steps to ensure that any person who is in any cult and is in
government is thrown out.”
Piqued by intractable communal clashes in
the state, which have resulted in the wanton destruction of lives and
property, Ayade ordered the immediate withdrawal of the certificates of
recognition of traditional rulers in the affected communities.
He
hinted that the state would be divided into 18 cells for purposes of
security, saying, “Nine entry and nine exit points have also been
identified.”
However, the Defence Headquarters at the weekend
denied the takeover of any local government area in Cross River State by
militants. The Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen. Rabe
Abubakar, in response to THISDAY enquiry yesterday, said such
development was not true. He vowed that the military, in collaboration
with other security agencies, will crush any attempt to temper with the
territorial integrity of the country.
Abubakar said, “The
information about parallel government is a rumour and a dream of those
unpatriotic elements and is not true. The military and other security
agencies will not leave any stone unturned in exploiting any necessary
measure in ensuring the indivisibility of our nation.”
He assured
members of the public of the commitment of the Nigerian armed forces to
the safeguarding of “the territorial integrity of Nigeria, no matter
what it takes us to achieve in a more professional manner.
“Our
military activities will go on in all crisis identified locations and
areas in line with our constitutional mandate and our rules of
engagement.”
In a related development, Ayade and the service
commanders in the state at the weekend embarked on “operation show of
force” through major roads and streets of Calabar.
Briefing newsmen
shortly after the exercise, Ayade explained that it was a deliberate
measure to let the miscreants know that his team was in control of the
security situation.
He said, “We are out here as a show of force
to demonstrate that we are in absolute control and we are going to keep
Calabar totally safe. We have done a complete surveillance of all the
possible routes, all the water areas through which these criminals
escape.
“We know who they are, the security and intelligence
report has shown clearly the people who are behind all these activities
and I can assure the people of Cross River State that Calabar is,
indeed, peaceful and they should go about their legitimate businesses
peacefully.”
On measures to sustain the exercise, the governor
explained, “As a fallout of our security meeting yesterday (Friday) and
today, we will make adequate budgetary provision, reduce some of our
spending while transferring some of the overheads to guarantee
sufficient ammunition as well as other security and logistics support.”
Commenting,
the Cross River Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, assured that
his men will continue to protect lives and property in the state. “Those
who have legal businesses should go about them peacefully, but those
who have illegal businesses should run away,” Ozi-Obeh warned.
The
state security adviser, Mr. Jude Ngaji, expressed the state
government’s readiness to tackle the security menace, assuring, “In a
couple of days, the security challenge being experienced in the state
will be a thing of the past.”
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