From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Youths in Ikang Town, Bakassi Local Government, Cross River State have appealed to the state governor, Senator Bassey Otu, to assist them with speed boats and motorcycles to contain the threats posed by sea pirates and other criminal elements troubling riverine and upland communities in the area.
Linus Asuquo Bassey, the youth leader, made the appeal in his position paper presented during a Town Hall engagement in the area.
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The youth leader stated that lives of youth leaders are now on the line due to the fight they launched against criminal elements in the area.
“The speed boats and motor cycles will assist us go after criminal elements hiding in the creeks as well as patrol the upland communities at nights to forestall any form of emergency attack.
“Our lives are at risk due to the fight against criminality and we are determined to go after those perpetrating atrocities along the waterways and upland communities in the area”, he said.
He enumerated instances of threats on the people by these criminal elements and also said some militants wanted to benefit more than twice from the state government’s amnesty programme without minding if others had benefited from the Programme.
He equally lamented how traders from neighbouring Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, who used to visit Ikang international market on weekly basis for trading activities suddenly stopped, for fear of being kidnap by self acclaimed militants who kidnap and seize their goods along the creeks.
The youth leader questioned the sincerity of ex militants recently granted amnesty by the state government saying they will not be reintegrated into the community until they show remorse on their past criminal activities.
“We are cautious about reintegrating ex-militants granted amnesty until they show remorse for past criminal activities.
“Our stand is based on findings that some of the ex militants have returned to the creeks to reposition themselves for the next phase of the amnesty programme”, he said.
He, however , thanked the state governor for extending electricity and solar light to the area and appealed for the construction of an international fish market in the area.
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