The Cross River State Government security outfit "Operation Okpakwu" has demolished a hotel that allegedly served as a hideout for suspected kidnappers, IgbereTV reports.

The ‘Save side hotel’ located at 8 Miles area in Calabar Municipality was allegedly harbouring a notorious kidnapper identified simply as "Kingsley" and his gang members, who have been terrorising the state.

Speaking after the demolition exercise on Saturday, January 23, the State Security Adviser, South, to Governor Ben Ayade, Mr Henry Okokon, alleged that most of the robbery and kidnap cases that were carried out by the late Kingsley were planned and coordinated from the hotel.

According to Okokon, the Homeland Security bill which was signed into law by Governor Ayade clearly stated that “anybody who aids, abets and harbours a criminal is also guilty of the crime."

"The demolition exercise is an ongoing process, it is part of the activities of Operation Akpakwu that was set up to fight criminality in the state, especially kidnapping. The governor had warned landlords who are harbouring criminals to desist from doing so. Therefore, anybody found to be harbouring, abetting, or aiding crime, must definitely be held responsible," said Okokon.

"This hotel is one of the buildings that have been harbouring criminals and the government has decided to bring it down."

He warned landlords and hotel owners to always do a thorough background check of their guests and tenants before givin them accommodation spaces.

"This is a warning signal to all, and I think everybody should be aware of this. The general public should be aware that security is everyone’s business. I want to state that all legal procedures were taken before this building was demolished. The police have equally done their investigation, that is why we have the Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel here on the ground." he added.

During the process of the demolition, residents who live near the hotel said they feel safer knowing that the building had been brought down, adding that the road in front of the hotel was not used by passersby due to the harassment by the late Kinglsey and his gang.

See video of the demolition below.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoY-ib4hgwg

Neddstark:
The way governors look for reasons to demolish other people's property in Nigeria shows that we are simply running a dictatorship in this country. The person who built this property might have no single idea that robbers are lodging in his hotel. So unfair.

Neddstark:
The way governors look for reasons to demolish other people's property in Nigeria shows that we are simply running a dictatorship in this country. The person who built this property might have no single idea that robbers are lodging in his hotel. So unfair.

Wisebird22:
mehn if you only knew who this Kingsley was you would want his grave demolished... Kingsley was a terror..

abdulskulboy:
They should not only demolish the hotel, the hotel owners and managers should also be remanded and go to jail... Stupid hypocrites

fredoooooo:
God will bless you and all the good people of this nation.

Benekruku:

I really must commend your Patriotism and doggedness against all odds.

You are part of the chosen few sane reasoning has dwelt with.
History will never forget how you on how you redrafted it and stired the future join high tides.
Once again. God bless you.

Neddstark:
The way governors look for reasons to demolish other people's property in Nigeria shows that we are simply running a dictatorship in this country. The person who built this property might have no single idea that robbers are lodging in his hotel. So unfair.

mansakhalifa:


Is that so?

Then why call yourself an 'entrepreneur' if you don't have a grip on what actually goes on in your place of business from day to day?

Shows you will make a very poor proprietor. This excuse is not admissible or tenable in any way. It is rather flimsy to say the very least.

If we are to go by the contents of that post, the hotel was becoming a major problem to the inhabitants of the street where it was situated. If bringing it down was the route back to normalcy in that area, then dictatorship be hanged.

Besides, I believe there must have been a law backing such an action by the government otherwise, the injured party can exploit the angle of legal redress.

The owner ought to be more careful next time around with his other ventures so as to avoid similar dejavuesque occurrences in the future. From the very look of things, he wasn't really operating a business but an axis of evil

'nough said for now. But know this for sure; there can be no more excuses for certain bad behaviours.

NB: If the folks living on the street knew the goings-on in that hotel, then it shows that everything is common knowledge. The owner cannot, under such circumstances, claim not to know anything about it.

Neddstark:
The way governors look for reasons to demolish other people's property in Nigeria shows that we are simply running a dictatorship in this country. The person who built this property might have no single idea that robbers are lodging in his hotel. So unfair.

Neddstark:
The way governors look for reasons to demolish other people's property in Nigeria shows that we are simply running a dictatorship in this country. The person who built this property might have no single idea that robbers are lodging in his hotel. So unfair.