By Kelvin Ololo
Tension gripped the 8 Miles axis of Calabar on Tuesday, 7 July, 2026, as scores of commercial motorcyclists barricaded the highway and adjoining roads in a protest over alleged seizure of motorcycles and harassment by security operatives, bringing traffic to a complete standstill.
The protesters blocked the Calabar-Ikom Highway and several adjoining roads, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded for hours while businesses within the area were disrupted.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to CrossRiverWatch said the protest was triggered by growing frustration among commercial motorcycle operators over what they described as persistent harassment by police officers and military personnel carrying out enforcement operations in the area.
According to one eyewitness, many riders have sustained serious injuries while attempting to flee from security operatives who allegedly chase them to confiscate their motorcycles.
“The protest is because of the constant seizure of bikes. Most of them get injured while trying to escape because the police always pursue them and collect their motorcycles.
“Today they decided to block the roads to express their anger,” the eyewitness said.
Residents also told CrossRiverWatch that the protest turned violent in some locations, with angry demonstrators reportedly vandalising several vehicles and other properties.
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Information gathered from eyewitnesses alleges that the security enforcement operations are carried out by police officers, sometimes working alongside military personnel, who use Hilux patrol vehicles to pursue commercial motorcyclists in the 8 Miles and Calabar South areas before impounding their motorcycles.
Some residents further alleged that the operatives conceal their identities by covering their faces and use trucks to transport impounded motorcycles.
The allegations, which CrossRiverWatch could not independently verify at the time of this report, also claim that some enforcement operations involve dangerous pursuits that have left several riders and passengers with varying degrees of injuries, including permanent disabilities.
Some residents have called on the Cross River State Government to provide alternative employment opportunities for commercial motorcyclists and improve road infrastructure within the 8 Miles community to enable tricycles and mini-buses to operate more effectively.
The latest protest comes nearly a year after the Cross River State Government reaffirmed that the restriction on commercial motorcycle operations within parts of the Calabar metropolis remained in force.
In a statement issued on July 4, 2025, and signed by the Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Bassey Otu, Linus Obogo, the government listed areas where commercial motorcycle operations remain prohibited while permitting operators to ply designated routes, including the 8 Miles area, Nasarawa, Bacoco, Ikot Eneobong, Basin Authority Interior, Nyakasang, Edim Otop, Harbour Road, Eburutu Army Barracks Road, Lemna Road, Agro Feed Road, Tinapa Road, Scanobo Road, Axari Road, Ekorinim Road and Satellite Town Interior.
The government also warned that operators who violate the directive would be apprehended and prosecuted, stressing that enforcement of the policy is exclusively the responsibility of the Office of the State Security Adviser.
As of the time of filing this report, the situation around the 8 Miles axis remained tense, with movement significantly disrupted due to the roadblocks erected by protesters.
Efforts to obtain the official position of the Cross River State Police Command were unsuccessful. The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah Akata, did not respond to repeated telephone calls seeking confirmation of the security situation and the circumstances surrounding the protest.
Residents have appealed to the state government and security agencies to engage the aggrieved operators in dialogue to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy to the area.
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