Lockdown: 1500 stranded at Cross River/ Akwa Ibom boundary

No fewer than 1500 Nigerians were reportedly stranded yesterday on the Calabar-Itu federal bridge, which is the boundary between Cross River and Akwa Ibom State, following the order by Gov. Ben Ayade that all entry points into and out of the state be shut.

The directive was enforced by law enforcement agencies at all the entry points.

Numerous families in Calabar who wanted to relocate to their home towns in Akwa Ibom and those that returned to Calabar were all held up at the foot bridge as the road was blocked.

Mr. Sunday Ufot Akpan and five other family members who were returning to Uyo in obedience to the lockdown directive said there were long queues of vehicles on both sides of the bridge, waiting and pleading with the security agents to be allowed passage to their destinations.

“The number of people at the boundary bridge can be estimated to be over 1500 that pleaded with the security, taskforce to be allowed to cross over.

“The security officers were not friendly. They kept us for over five hours, refusing to allow passage into or out of Cross River. They asked if we were not aware of the restriction on movement as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in the world.

“However, at about 5pm the long queues of vehicles were allowed to pass”, he explained.

Reacting, Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu expressed concern that people were not conscious of the virulent nature of the virus and therefore tended to take the lockdown order with levity.