Why we kept vigil at Itu Bridge, by Ayade as over 36,000 refugees in C’River, border communities face threat

Financial racketeering at Cross River borders with the South-South and South East states as well as fear of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) entering the state forced Governor Ben Ayade to keep vigil at the Calabar-Itu Bridge.

Reliable sources hinted that security agents at Gakem, at the state’s border with Benue State, which has recorded the pandemic, have been extorting between N10,000 to N20,000 from motorists and truck drivers to allow them to enter the state, thereby violating the governor’s total border closure order.

Similar situation reportedly goes on at Itu Bridge on the Cross River/Akwa Ibom border and others where security agents allegedly compromise.

Already, Akwa Ibom has record of the virus.

Worried by the development, Governor Ayade with his deputy, Prof. Ivara Esu; the Commissioner of Police, Uche Anozie; and the COVID-19 Taskforce led by the chairman, Dr. Betta Edu mobilised at Calabar/Itu bridge to check such excesses.

Ayade said he had to personally take part in enforcing his government’s order of banning human and vehicular movement into the state.

The governor, who arrived the Calabar/Itu head bridge before midnight on Tuesday, spent the night with members of the COVID-19 task force, departed about 9am the next day.

He told newsmen that he had to also deny himself sleep for the citizens to sleep.

According to him, leading the enforcement himself was to ensure that the boundary was totally locked down in line with his directive to ensure the state remains free of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, over 36,000 Cameroonian refugees at the two United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps in Ogoja, Cross River and border communities of the state with Cameroon are in danger of imminent outbreak of coronavirus following reported free entry and exit of people that are already infected.

Border communities of Amana and Sankwala in Obanliku; Bumaji, Butatong, Bashu, Ogbangante, Danare, Biajua, Orimekpang in Boki; Abia, Agbokim, Ajasor, Etara in Etung; and Ekuri, Ekong Anaku, Old Ndebiji, Oban in Akamkpa are all easy routes between Nigeria and Cameroon.

Also, most of the fleeing Ambazonians (south-west Cameroonians) from their war-ravaged communities follow those Cross River communities into Nigeria.