Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has launched Operation Akpakwu to help flush out criminals especially kidnappers from the state.

The governor who spoke at an event decried the recent incidents of crime in the state which he says is one of the safest in Nigeria.

To boost the operation, Ayade donated 100 patrol vehicles fitted with cutting edge communication gadgets, power bikes, and drones to service commanders in the state.

“Cross River State statistically remains the safest state in Nigeria, however as a state, we are used to the culture of zero kidnappings, zero cultism, and zero robberies.

“In recent past, there has been an increase in the number of crimes within the Niger Delta and the country as a whole arising from the difficulty orchestrated by Endsars as well as Covid19 which brought a general poverty and general hardship upon the entire world,” the governor said.

According to him, “the instruction is very clear from Abuja, you must deal decisively with any form of criminality, you must deal decisively with any form of banditry, cultism, the kidnapping of any form.

“Let this, therefore, be a strong message to every Cross Riverian and nonindigenes alike, that as far as you are resident in Cross River State, today is the end of that criminality.

“Today is the end of armed robbery, banditry must end today. We have received very clear instructions from the federal government and I have supported and I stand strong with all my military men and the police that they must comply with the obligations, the instructions and orders of the Inspector General of Police and the commander in chief of the Nigerian armed forces that Cross River State must be made safe.”