Armed men numbering over 10 stormed a guest house on Adak Uko Street, in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, dispossessing female occupants of cash, jewellery and other valuables.

The incident, which occurred two nights ago, left several women injured after they were beaten by the assailants who wielded guns and machetes.

The six-room facility, located in the Ambo/Mbukpa axis of Calabar, was reportedly overcrowded, forcing many of the women to share rooms.

Most of them had travelled from different parts of Nigeria and abroad to attend the anniversary celebration of the Universal Women’s Fellowship of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, whose international headquarters is situated nearby.

Residents of the street disclosed that this was not the first time the guest house had been attacked, alleging that hoodlums had struck there on at least four occasions in the past two years.

They claimed the criminals usually monitored the arrival of visitors before launching their raids.

Some of the victims narrated how the robbers went from room to room, intimidating them and carting away their belongings.

One of them, who identified herself as Sister Angela from Rivers State, said the experience was terrifying. “We are strangers in Calabar and did not know that the place had such poor security.

“They broke into our rooms at night, some stayed outside while others forced the doors open. One of them hit me and my sister with a gun, demanding money.

“Even after I handed over the cash I had withdrawn that evening, they kept searching our bags with torchlights,” she recounted.

Efforts to get comments from the guest house management proved abortive, as a man who claimed to be the manager declined to speak.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in Cross River, Igri Ewa, confirmed the incident and said investigations had commenced to track down the perpetrators. (The Guardian)