Travellers trapped, attacked in Calabar
Thousands of travellers as well as residents living near the Calabar-Uyo federal highway were trapped yesterday by armed robbers and miscreants. The incident followed an accident involving three trucks conveying fuel. The accident happened opposite the Independent Power Plant. One of the trucks was engulfed by fire, causing gridlock on the road. However, hoodlums took […]
Long queue of vehicles caused by the accident
Thousands of travellers as well as residents living near the Calabar-Uyo federal highway were trapped yesterday by armed robbers and miscreants.
The incident followed an accident involving three trucks conveying fuel. The accident happened opposite the Independent Power Plant.
One of the trucks was engulfed by fire, causing gridlock on the road.
However, hoodlums took advantage of the situation and attacked many of the trapped travellers dispossessing them of their valuables.
Niger Delta Trust gathered that travellers and residents have been experiencing such attacks in the last one month making travelling on the only access road to and from surrounding states very dangerous.
Some of those trapped, yesterday, who said they left Calabar as early as 7am for Uyo, told our correspondent that they spent over four hours at the spot.
They said the situation was made worse because of the terrible state of the road due to long neglect.
Aniefiok Simeon, a businessman, who travelled from Port Harcourt said, “We had to sleep at the spot. We suffered attacks by hoodlums in the night, who came with knives and guns and collected all our money and other valuables.
“It was a terrible experience. Lives and properties are at risk on this road. This road has been in this state of disrepair for several years, and it is the only link road to other states.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Cross River State has lamented the deplorable state of the road and called on the federal government to ensure that contractors handling the road reconstruction expedited action for its timely completion to avert the high rate of accidents.