Bakassi Youths Protest Alledged Killing of Their Colleague by NSCDC Personnel
Bakassi youths numbering about 300 on Friday stormed Calabar to protest the killing of their colleague, Archibong Effiong-Archibong, who was allegedly shot dead by a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
It took the presence of the Nigerian Army and the State Security Adviser, South, Mr Ani Esin to quell the situation at the University of Calabar main gate.
An eye witness, Mrs Esther Udom, told Newsmen in Calabar that the incident happened at Ekprikang community in Bakassi.
She said that Effiong-Archibong was shot death by NSCDC personnel while they were trying to struggle over a gallon of fuel.
According to him, the NSCDC officials demanded money from the youths in other to allow them to operate on fuel business in the area but the youths refused.
“The NSCDC personnel demanded money from us to allow us operate on our fuel business and we said we dont have.
“When we said we don’t have money to give to them, they started struggling our gallons of fuel with us and in the process, they opened fire and one of our colleague who is also a NEPA officer was shot dead.
“This same NSCDC personnel have been collecting money from us from time to time. We dont have industries in Bakassi, the only thing we have is the river because we are fishermen.
“What do they want us to do now because we dont have any other trade to venture into,” he said.
Youth Leader of Bakassi, Mr Eyo Asuquo-Etim, said they want the state and federal government to come in an take care of the family of the deceased who left behind four children.
In his reaction, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Danjuma Elisha, told newsmen that the youths were trying to smuggled fuel to Cameroon through the Bakassi border post.
Elisha said he had to dispatch a team of NSCDC personnel to stop them in other not enter Cameroon and in the process be infected with Covid-19.
“We had a tip off that they the youths were taking fuel to Cameroon and we had to move in to stop them.
“We parked the gallons of fuel into our vehicle and the youths were resisting because they said we have come to distract their source of income.
“In the process, they starting calling out their boys in their numbers to come out. I’m not sure if the person that was reported dead was shot by our men because all the personnel that were there said they never shot a single bullet.
“When they came back, I checked their rifles and all their ammunition where intact. The youths have burnt down our hilux and the command office in Bakassi.
“They manhandled one of our staff; I had to call the Army officials who went there and rescued our personnel. I am still investigating the incident,” he said.
