The Canadian government has identified Cros River State as one of the
safest in Nigeria.
In its regular release on safety concerns, the Global Affairs Canada has
advised her citizens against non-essential travels to Nigeria, with the
exception of Calabar, Abuja and Lagos.
The statement, which advised Canadian citizens in Nigeria to exercise a
high degree of caution, lamented that “the security situation throughout
the country is unpredictable, and there is a significant risk of
terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings.”
According to a statement from the Global Affairs Canada, it listed “the
northern and middle belt states of Borno, Gombe,Yobe, Kano, Admawa,
Kaduna, Bauchi and Plateau as high risk, involving terrorism,
inter-communal violence and kidnapping; the Niger Delta states of Abia,
Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Anambra, and Rivers (with the exception of
the capital city Port Harcourt, where we advise against non-essential
travel, due to the unstable security situation and the heightened risk of
kidnapping.”
It would be recalled that late last year the United States of America also
identified Cross River State as the safest state in Nigeria.
Sometime last year, Governor Ben Ayade embarked on a comprehensive
security measures to protect lives and property in the state with the
establishment of the Homeland Security and the donation of 160 operational
vehicles to the different security agencies, including Operation Skolombo.
Reacting to the listing of Cross River as one of the safest states in the
country, Governor Ayade said “our administration’s effort at ensuring a
crime-free state is beginning to bear fruits with the recognition of Cross
River and indeed, Calabar as among the few safest cities in Nigeria.”
According to him, he would not relent in his effort to sustain the
momentum, as security is essential to the economic prosperity of the
state.