Niger Delta

Return Looted Items Or Face Impending Doom, C’River Communities Warn

Published

5 years ago

November 5, 2020

Some Communities in Cross River State have utilised the services of local town criers in warning against the consequences of the recent #End SARS looting.
The town criers, who currently go round the 18 local government areas of the state also begged hoodlums to return public and private property looted during and after the #EndSARS protest.
A town crier from one of the communities, said he made the announcements in various dialects of the different communities for impact and understanding.
He warned the looters to return the stolen items to designated places where the government or owners of such property can find them.
The announcer explained that he was working under the directive of the Council of Chiefs in the communities.
It was gathered that some other communities imposed fines on persons accused of looting but refused to return the property while others were placed on a native curse known as ‘Mbiam’ in Efik language.
A town crier who, spoke to our correspondent regretted the actions of the looters, noting that some of the looters have no room to keep what they looted.
“How can you live in a room with your parents and steal large-sized furniture that you cannot accommodate, is that not madness, or how can somebody go to a psychiatric hospital and force a patient out of the bed and take the bed bigger than his room?
“It is very sad and disappointing and it is better our community heads asked them to return those things.
“Failure to do so would attract severe sanctions such as inflicting them with unknown diseases as I have announced. We are very serious about it,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Police in Calabar, have given a hint that they have arrested over a hundred suspected criminals who allegedly looted, vandalized and destroyed government and private property in the State.
Disclosing this in Calabar, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Irene Ugbo, lamented the level of looting and destruction of government and private property in the state.
She said most of those who looted government and private offices were not from Cross River State, most of them were from other States.
She explained that one of the arrested culprits (name withheld), was helping the police in their investigation, and had given names of other suspects.
“This particular suspect is from a neighbouring State; he has made a confessional statement on how some of his boys came and carried out the crime. We have arrested about over 100 suspects that were allegedly vandalising private and government establishment among others
“This suspect masterminded the vandalisation of Calabar International Conference Centre (CICC) where high profile events always take place and where people from other countries come, it is very alarming.
“Those who took palliatives, we allow them but they went as far as taking government furniture including chairs, tiles etc, it is sad to observe that after collecting palliatives they went ahead to collect these property”.
justice to those arrested,” she stressed.

By: Friday Nwagbara, Calabar

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.