5 Dead, First Bank Branch Set On Fire In Calabar

Five persons were reported dead with three children declared missing in Calabar on Friday night following the outbreak of looting and violence in the city by hoodlums who invaded public and private warehouses to loot.

Three of those who died were trapped in the fire that engulfed the Cross River State office of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, while two died in the stampede as crowds surged to cart away foodstuff and office equipment in the office of the agency while the children went missing as their parents were busy looting.

The First Bank branch at 8 miles and Techno phone office were looted and set on fire along with the Value Mart stall owned by Mrs Obioma Imoke wife of the former governor of the state, Senator Liyel Imoke.

The looting which went on all night is still going on as at the time of writing this report with a horde of both young and old carting away properties and drugs from the Cross River Essential Drugs Store located near the premises of the Nigerian Chronicle which was completely stripped bare of equipment and office furniture before by the looters.

The miscreants are having a fields day as Senator Ben Ayade last night imposed a twenty-four-hour curfew on the city but called on security agencies not to shoot at the looters to avoid the carnage and creating panic.

The Editor-In-Chief- of Nigerian Chronicle, Mr Sam Egbala had two of his cars set ablaze by the hoodlums while several other staff lost personal property to the looters