Book Seller Counts Losses as Hoodlums Invade Shop

Mr Princewill Essien, a law books seller at the Cross River State High Court premises, says he incurred huge losses following the invasion of his bookshop by hoodlums who hijacked the EndSARS protest.
Essien, in Calabar on Wednesday, said the invaders broke into his shop and carted away books and other items.
“I received a call that the protesters had entered my shop, but I could not go out because the state had become volatile. I got there the following morning to find out that my shop has been torched and several items taken away, I cannot count the number of books taken”.
The shop owner listed the items taken away by the hoodlums to include, books, waist coats, shirts, trousers, wigs, furniture among others.
Essien expressed worry that a well-intended exercise such as the EndSARS protest could suddenly be turned against the poor and ordinary people.
“I invested a huge sum of money to equip the shop in preparation for the resumption of activities in the court, I do not know where to begin”.
In a related development, heaps of items allegedly stolen from government facilities during the looting, are said to be resurfacing at strategic points in Calabar, the state capital.
The state government had announced a N100,000 reward for anybody with valuable information that could lead to the recovery of stolen items.
As the ongoing door-to-door search by security personnel continues, there has been a state-wide announcement urging those who looted items to return them.