Looting: Ayade asks police to carry out house-to-house search

Devastated by the massive looting of government and private assets by angry residents, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has ordered a house-to-house search to retrieve the loot.

He also charged security agencies to take legitimate actions to halt the spate of arson and carnage witnessed in some parts of Calabar.

The governor gave the police the task in a release issued on Sunday in Calabar by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Christian Ita.

Ayade also asked the police to arrest anyone involved in the looting of public and private property in the state.

Although the governor who was reported to have said he understood the pain of the people, noted that there was need to protect the collective commonwealth of the people.

He said the commonwealth was threatened by some persons desperately trying to discredit the peaceful disposition of the citizens of Cross River.

Ayade urged the security agencies to take legitimate actions to ensure that calm returned to the state, especially as the government was already working towards ensuring the demands of those who genuinely participated in the #EndSARS march were met.

The governor also called on the citizens to rise up and defend their land from criminal elements bent on destroying the image of the state.