Thieves have burgled the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, the publisher of the Nigerian Chronicle, Weekend Chronicle and Sunday Chronicle, allegedly carted away property worth several hundreds of thousands of naira.
The thieves, who were reportedly carted away, amongst other items, giant refrigerator, industrial fans, colour television and other items, were not caught as they disappeared with the stolen items.
DAILY POST gathered that the thieves gained access to the office of the General Manager Mr Emman Akpong from the ceiling through the former Board Rooms which renovation work had since been abandoned by the contractor.
It was further gathered that the thieves destroyed the door linking the General Manager’s office with the former secretary’s office to enable them took away the property as they could not destroy the door of the general manager’s office.
Speaking with our correspondent via phone on Monday, the General Manager, Mr Emman Akpong regretted the attitude of miscreants who invaded the corporation and stole the property, “The office has been under renovation, so the adjourning office which is the board room had no ceiling; the thieves climbed from there, directly entered into my office and burgled.
“They carted away my refrigerator, my Ox-Fan and other items, ransacked my drawers, though no importance document was found. The security were at the front of the office, but the hoodlums entered from the channels/drainage behind us.
“However, our security men saw them and chased. Our office was undergoing renovation and it’s like carcass. They look the place as an abandoned property, you can pick what you see and go, if the place has been fully renovated and secured, we would not be having such cases,” he stated.
The General Manager said that the corporation shared the property (building) with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) noting that the Agency (SEMA) has recorded burglary and fire burnt.
“We have been having constant burglary; they have been removing the roving sheets and other materials. These are not harden criminals that would come with arms and all that, these are miscreants that are just picking, scraps and all what they can find.
“Our prayer is that the renovation which has been in budgetary provision for sometimes now be eventually get approval so that we can recapture that place and return it to glorious days,” he stated.
