Six Years After EndSARS, NEPZA Demands Justice For Tinapa Looting, Vandalism
By Sunday Etuka
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has demanded the prosecution of those behind the looting and vandalism of the Tinapa Free Trade Zone during the EndSARS unrest, six years after the destruction of the multi-trillion naira investment.
The demand came after a media tour of the Tinapa complex organised by NEPZA, where journalists were taken round the facility to see the extent of damage to key infrastructure in the zone.
Leading the tour, NEPZA’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr Martins Odeh, described the destruction as a major setback to the economic aspirations of Cross River State and Nigeria.
He said several facilities, including the Tinapa Hotel, the Light Rail project and other major infrastructure, were extensively vandalised and looted during the unrest, leaving investments worth trillions of naira in ruins.
“This story has not been told ever since. It has been considered a political gimmick, but it is reality,” Odeh said.
According to him, the tour was meant to help Nigerians see firsthand the level of destruction suffered by the once-thriving business and tourism destination.
“We have brought journalists from Abuja to see things for themselves. Nobody is lying here. Nigerians need to understand what happened to this investment,” he said.
Odeh lamented that no one has been prosecuted over the incident despite the scale of the losses.
“The information we got is that nobody has been prosecuted. Our law must work. We are working very hard to ensure that those behind this destruction, whether at home or abroad, are brought to justice,” he stated.
He described Tinapa as a major economic asset with the capacity to support commerce, tourism and employment generation, noting that some of its structures remain among the largest commercial facilities in the country.
“What can be more defining than this structure, which is many times bigger than several modern shopping complexes? Today, there is no single soul here. This was supposed to be Tinapa, a major source of economic activity for Nigeria,” he said.
The NEPZA spokesman maintained that the vandalism significantly undermined investor confidence and disrupted efforts to position the free trade zone as a hub for trade, tourism and industrial development.
He, however, expressed optimism that Tinapa could be restored through collaboration between the federal and Cross River State governments.
“Our hope is that the state government and NEPZA will continue to work together to resuscitate this place. Tinapa will work again and support the economy, create jobs and provide opportunities for future generations,” he said.
Odeh also assured prospective investors that security within the zone had improved, urging businesses to take advantage of opportunities available at the facility.
“We are calling on investors to return. We have enough security in place, and we are committed to revitalising this environment,” he added.
Tinapa, conceived during the administration of former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, was designed as a world-class business and tourism destination intended to attract investment, stimulate commerce and create employment.
NEPZA said that despite the extensive destruction, the project still retains significant economic potential and can once again become a key driver of growth and development in Cross River State and the wider Nigerian economy.
