Following the alleged killing of a soldier in Calabar, the Nigerian Army officials have besieged the major street of Calabar (Ndidem Usang Iso Rd) and residence and business owners along the road now leave in perpetual fear for the past three days.
This development has become really disturbing especially when football lovers hoping to catch a glimpse of the Champions League match between Liverpool and Inter Milan yesterday were all sent home in what seemed like a partial curfew at gun point.
Stories have it that the entire mayhem resulted when a soldier's girlfriend was patted in the ass by a guy passing by. The soldier is said to have protested and this may have provoked the boys who teamed up to beat him up along with two other soldiers who were with him. The soldiers are however said to have tried to call for back-up when their assailants took to their heels. However, one of them was said to have ran after the fleeing hoodlums who later realized he was alone and cornered him. This time beat him to death.
Since then, despite the soldiers destroying every visible structure with semblance of a pub, they have continued to intimidate residents and passers-by so much that 6 o'clock in the evening is no longer save to be seen along Ndidem Usang Iso Road in Calabar.
I am however worried that if this is not stemmed at the bud, another Odi community may soon surface, this time in the hitherto peaceful city of Calabar, Nigeria's preferred tourism destination. Again has the Nigerian Army lost control of it's soldiers? How come a group of soldiers can easily leave the Barracks to cause so much destruction and yet accountable to know one? The hoodlums who perpetrated this heinous act should be sorted out and brought to book but in a civilized manner for it is a shameful thing for this to continue to happen in this country. This Jungle justice must stop!
You can get other details on this story from The CalabarGist Blog
