Barrister Fabian Awhen
The government in the statement made it clear that it is worried over the general insecurity the unpleasant state of affairs is generating particularly in the state capital adding that as a result, the State Security Council has met to address the issue.
Consequently, the police and all other security agencies in the state have been mandated to take very strong action to deal with the problem.
In the same vein, the government in the statement has requested all law-abiding citizens and the general public to remain calm and cooperate with the security agencies to rid the state of the terrible incidents of armed robbery, kidnapping, and other criminal activities.
The government has also assured every citizen of his or her safety and appealed to the people to report any suspicious faces and movements around them to the police.
Agreeably, the serenity of the state has in recent times been jolted by incidents of armed robbery attacks, violence, unprovoked attacks, and murder.
This growing state of insecurity in the state certainly is an unfair reversal of the fortunes for which the people and government have made tremendous investments toward the attainment of a safe, peaceful, clean, and visitor-friendly environment.
This is so because, before now Cross River State acquired the reputation of being the most secure and peaceful state in the country.
Without a doubt, these particular characteristics attracted an influx of investors and tourists who regard the state as a haven to live and do business.
It is therefore painful to watch some miscreants upturn this hard-earned fortunes of the state through acts of brigandage, murder, armed robbery sexual assaults, and child trafficking among others.
This is why we see the assurance given by the government following the outcome of the State Security Council meeting in Calabar which deliberated extensively on some security concerns and came up with measures to stem the ugly trend as timely and heartwarming.
Certainly, the government’s position stems from the apprehension of members of the public who have expressed fears in various circles over the increasing insecurity of life and property in the state and the country in general as a result of the scaling up of violent activities and wanton killing.
The question now is where do we go from here since our society is gradually being dominated by armed robbers, pickpockets, burglars, and other sundry criminals.
Undeniably these horrendous activities have not been our standpoint in the state given the fact that we are a peace-loving and accommodating people.
This dimension of violence is based on a new motion of pursuing material gains and power through forceful means.
It should be noted that in the history of man and his development, hardly do violence and crime hardly bring any sustainable dividend, rather they bring ruin and shame to the perpetrators and their families and by extension the society as a whole.
It is on this score that we call on the perpetrators of violence and crime to retrace their steps and pursue the path of peace and progress.
Furthermore, now that the state government has assured the people of the state of their safety and also put in place measures to stem the ugly trend, we expect a remarkable reduction in crime wave in the state.
It also behooves the people to give useful information to the police and other security agencies that can lead to the apprehension of suspected persons whose source of livelihood is questionable.
This is one way we can collectively fight crime in the state.
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