Niger Delta
Tech, Gadget Dealers Protest Incessant Burglary In Calabar
Tech and Gadget resellers in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have protested alleged incessant burglary attacks on their business premises within the last three months .
The Tide’s source reports that the dealers who were armed with placards of various inscriptions described the robberies as an attack on their businesses and source of livelihood.
They said within the last three months they have loss about N700 million due to the attacks on their shops and business premises.
They appealed to the State Government and relevant security agencies to save them from the incessant attacks, saying about seven shops have been attacked in the last three months.
According to the Spokesman of the dealers, Mr Paschal Obi, “we no longer feel safe. In three months about seven of our shops have been bugled and we have lost not less than N700 million collectively.
”These monies largely come from bank loans. So, government should come to our aid by providing security. We pay all manner of taxes and levies and should be protected by the government.”
Also speaking, the CEO of George Gadgets, George Nwosu, said his shop was burgled twice in 2024.
He said the matter was reported to the Police Command in the state, but nothing had come out of it yet.
He decried the poor level of insecurity in the metropolis and called for the State Government’s intervention.
In the same vein, Okoro Benjamin, another victim, said two of his shops were burgled last December 10 and 11 and that goods worth more than N400 million were lost.
He joined his colleagues to plead for security, saying that most of them were now running out of business.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Irene Ugbo, said the Command was investigating the robberies and would surely get the robbers.
She also disclosed that as a temporary measure, the Command would put an eye along that axis of the metropolis and put in a place a stationary patrol team along the area for improved security.
The Tide’s source reports that some of the placards carried by the protesters had inscription such as ‘’businesses cannot function in an unsafe environment”.
Others had “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”.