As of Sunday night, no fewer than eight persons were forcefully and at gunpoint abducted by unknown persons in Calabar.
One of them a director in the state civil service commission, Mr. Ani Oku Ita, from Odukpani LGA in Cross River state.
Early last week, five persons were similarly abducted, after a medical doctor, Dr. Godwin Udo, kidnapped in his house, was released by his abductors after payment of undisclosed ransom. One Miss Faith was also kidnapped in her house.
Police PRO Irene Ugbo said they were working in concert with other security agencies to get the kidnapped victims released.
Mr. Ani Oku Ita was kidnaped from his house on Academy street, off Target road, Calabar South at about 7 pm on Sunday while trying to park his car inside his house. He was to have been driven away by the kidnappers in his car.
Security sources lamented that “the department responsible for hunting down these criminals are suffering low morale and have slowed down their activities owing to the fact that several other arrested kidnappers have not been diligently prosecuted and sent to prison under the new Anti- Cultism law of Cross River state but are rather usually set free and sent back into the system without any retribution.”
A public commentator, Chief Harrison Ekpenyong said “There is no doubt that kidnapping is certainly a big and booming business in Calabar and other parts of the state, such that the government is closing its eyes to it.
“Calabar is very unsafe. Everybody is living in fear. Business and pleasure have been threatened.”
