Sandra Nwaokolo
In a brazen act of violence, Governor Ben Ayade’s Chief of Staff, Martin Orim, was ambushed on Sunday by unidentified gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.
The assailants targeted Orim’s convoy as it made its way along the Calabar-Biase-Ugep Highway, a notorious stretch of road that has become a hotspot for criminal activity, particularly kidnapping.
The Akampa-Biase-Ugep axis, in particular, has seen a spate of attacks on vehicles, leaving residents and travellers alike living in fear of these dangerous hoodlums.
The menace of violent attacks by hoodlums continues to plague the Calabar-Biase-Ugep Highway, with the latest victim being Governor Ben Ayade’s Chief of Staff, Martin Orim. Orim was returning from an official function in Obudu and en route to Calabar when his convoy was attacked by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Fortunately, Orim confirmed that all occupants of the vehicles escaped unhurt, although some of the convoy cars sustained bullet hits.
This incident comes on the heels of a similar attack on the convoy of Usani Usani, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and Governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, who was targeted by criminals in the same location just two weeks ago.
These repeated incidents have raised concerns about the safety of motorists and passengers on this particular stretch of the highway, which has become infamous for such violent activities.
According to police sources, security operatives have responded to the alarming security situation on the Calabar-Biase-Ugep Highway by deploying a team of tactical operations to the area.
This move is aimed at curbing the rising wave of criminal activities on the highway, particularly the persistent attacks on motorists by hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers.
The success of this security operation will be crucial in restoring confidence in the safety of the highway, which is an important transportation route in the region.
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