By Utang Bassey
The level of snatching of valuables by touts, gangsters, street urchins and the dreaded skolombo boys in some areas of Calabar south axis of Cross River’s capital city continues to rise with students of the Cross River University of Technology, CRUTECH, fast becoming easy targets.
Also, the number of break-ins while people are away have also doubled with a staff of CRUTECH suffering this fate while residents in the CRUTECH environs say properties have been disappearing.
The elements, CrossRiverWatch gathered now lie in wait of unsuspecting students who go out for night reading classes at the ETF and PREFAB buildings and attack when they see a window of opportunity.
This has reportedly continued for over a fortnight with the operations peaking early a few days to the matriculation ceremony when several robbers invaded the night reading classes and collected phones and other valuables or as commonly called; ‘obtained’ the students.
Also, people residing around the CRUTECH environs have been suffering the same fate especially after 10PM when the school electricity generating plant is switched off.
The residence of one Mrs Effiom at the staff quarters was invaded last week during school hours with several valuables and properties worth hundreds of thousands carted away.
Narrating her ordeal in church to her friends, Mrs Effiom, a staff of CRUTECH said “We all left for work and my children for school and upon our return discovered that they broke into our house and carted away our clothes, wrappers, shoes and so many things including the cash we had left at home to take care of ourselves. They left the house in a mess.”
It will be recalled that CrossRiverWatch recently reported that the level of insecurity in Calabar has heightened despite the State Government parading over 75 suspected skolombo boys.