BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – It is not the best of experience for car owners in Cross River State are currently enduring nightmare in the hands of a syndicate that specializes in stealing brain boxes, batteries and door engines of vehicles.
Available security information indicate that over 100 car owners have so far reported cases of being victims of the syndicate’s activities, especially in Calabar, the State capital.
One such victim told Forefront News that with the current situation of things, even living in a well-secured apartment with high fence and burglary proof is no longer barrier to the criminal gang.
The victim, who gave his name as Mr Ene Effiong Attah, said quite troubling is the fact that these criminal elements invade their targeted crime scenes fully armed with guns, cutlasses, ladder and other dangerous weapons.
He said provided the type of vehicles they are after are parked within such premises, members of the syndicate do not spare any effort, including scaling even electric fences and maiming victims, to perpetrate their crime.
Attah, a resident of Akpabuyo Local Government Area, further said the unholy activities of these uninvited guests are not limited to urban areas alone, as there are widespread reports of their nefarious activities across the entire state.
Further narrating his nightmarish experience when the syndicate members ransacked his vehicle in the wee hours of the night, Attah said it was so scary noticing the type of sophisticated weapons they were armed with.
According to him, in such situation one is more interested on the safety of his family rather than ephemeral material things like car brain box or battery.
He said given the current high cost any vehicle’s brain box, which runs into hundreds of thousands of Naira, many motorists are suspecting that dealers in such car parts could be remotely connected to the syndicate in order to remain afloat in business.
Our correspondent report that worst hit are those whose vehicles unfortunately develop fault along lonely highways, claiming that there are reported incidents where such victims are forced by the hoodlums to sit tight inside their cars under threat, watch them ransack and vandalise same with no help in sight.
Two of the syndicate’s victims, who spoke under condition of anonymity, told Forefront News that on the night of the incident help did not come their way because they were so thoroughly threatened and intimidated by the gang to create an atmosphere where other road users and passers would pass them for mechanics attending to the a broken down vehicle.
The duo called on the Police and other security agencies to step up surveillance in protecting members of the public, saying no one should be allowed to go through the type of traumatic experience they had facing the criminal gang members.
