Suspected youths believed to be loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) disrupted an event organised by members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State on Saturday, forcing the gathering to end abruptly.

The incident reportedly occurred at a venue where ADC members had assembled to open a new secretariat in the area.

Witnesses said canopies had been mounted, while chairs, tables and loudspeakers were arranged in preparation for the ceremony when a group of youths stormed the venue and disrupted the gathering.

A video circulating on social media showed some of the youths dispersing people at the venue and damaging items set up for the event.

The identity of those involved in the incident could not be independently verified at press time. However, some of the youths in the video were heard making political remarks during the disruption.

Reacting to the development, the 2023 governorship candidate of the ADC in the state, Effiong Nyong, described the incident as unfortunate.

In a statement, Nyong alleged that the disruption was politically motivated and urged authorities to investigate the matter.

“It is a very sad development coming out of Cross River State. It shows the extent to which poverty has been weaponised,” he said.

He added that the party would continue to engage residents through civic education and political mobilisation, while calling on opposition groups in the state to work together.

Nyong also urged the state government to ensure that those responsible for the disruption are identified and brought to justice.

Confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Cross River State Police Command, Eitokpah Sunday, described those involved as hoodlums.

According to him, the group arrived at the venue and scattered the canopies, chairs and sound equipment that had been set up for the programme.

He said police officers and tactical teams were deployed to the area to restore order and prevent the situation from escalating.

“The hoodlums from nowhere came and scattered the canopies, chairs and sound systems. However, the situation has been brought under control to prevent it from snowballing into a full-blown crisis,” he said.

Sunday added that no arrest had been made at the time of filing the report, noting that the security presence in the area was intended to ensure calm due to the locality’s sensitive nature.

Attempts to reach the newly elected chairman of the APC in the state, Christopher Etta, for comments were unsuccessful as calls and messages to his phone were not returned as of press time. (The Guardian)