Youth leaders in Ikang town, Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State want Governor Bassey Otu to provide boats and motorcycles to enable them tackle insecurity occasioned by the activities of sea pirates and other criminal elements troubling riverine and upland communities in the area.
The community youth leader, Prince Linus Asukwo-Bassey, while presenting a position paper at the Bakassi Town Council Hall, said the lives of local leaders were now at risk because of their stance against criminal groups operating in the creeks.
He said: “The speed boats and motorcycles will assist us go after criminal elements hiding in the creeks as well as patrol the upland communities at night 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.”
According to him, youth council leaders had received several calls and text messages, threatening them of reprisal attacks by ex-militants that want to benefit more than twice from the State government’s amnesty programme without minding if others have benefited from the programme.
The youth leader vowed to restrain ex-militants recently granted amnesty by the state government from being reintegrated into the community until they show remorse for their past criminal activities.
“We are cautious about reintegrating ex-militants until they demonstrate repentance,” he stressed.
Prince Asuquo-Bassey lamented how traders from neighbouring Cameroon and Equitorial Guinea, who used to visit Ikang international market on a weekly basis for trading activities suddenly stopped for fear of being kidnapped for ransom by criminals along the creeks.
The youth leader, however, commended Governor Otu for extending electricity and solar power to Ikang town which he said are necessary amenities to improve commercial activities and curb crime.
He further appealed to the state government to remodel and upgrade the Ikang market into a full-fledged international fish market.
