The federal government has been urged to establish forest guards to curb incessant highway kidnapping in the country. The call was made in a statement by the director general of the African Writers Centre, Mr Amah A. Amah, on Saturday.
He said the situation needs urgent attention, especially at this yuletide season.
According to him, “As the year 2024 gradually draws to an end and Nigerians embark on end-of-year holiday plans, a common question is on the lips of average Nigerians planning a trip between the northern and southern parts of the country. As air fare is quite out of the reach of the common man, that question is, “How do we embark on this journey without being kidnapped?”
“This is because travel from the southern to the northern part of Nigeria has become so precarious that most passengers say their last prayers before embarking on such trips, as there is hardly a week without incidents of kidnapping occurring on this highway.
“The most recent victims were passengers on a popular transport company, God is Good Motors, conveying travellers on this very important and commercially viable corridor.”
Reports had it that all the 14 passengers travelling in the bus from Port Harcourt to Abuja were abducted as gunmen attacked the vehicle around Obajana, just after Dangote Refinery at Obajana heading to Lokoja in Kogi State last Saturday, 30th November 2024.
The unknown gunmen reportedly kidnapped the passengers on the bus. It was only the driver of the bus that managed to escape.
Available information at the time of filing this report was that the kidnappers had demanded the sum of N 100 million as ransom to secure the release of each of the passengers.
Recall that on Saturday, 3rd of February this year, 12 passengers of GIGM and 2 of ABC Transport were kidnapped in Kogi on the same highway.
The passengers were en route to Abuja from Abia State and were attacked by the armed men along the Kogi State Expressway.
“Much as the 14 abducted passengers later regained freedom after about 5 days, they suffered untold hardship, as well as deep emotional and psychological trauma. It wasn’t clear if the ransom of N15 million, which the kidnappers demanded on each of the passengers to secure their release, was paid or not.”
Also, sometime in early August this year, the Anambra State commissioner for youths development, Hon. Patrick Agha Mba and wife were kidnapped on their way to Abuja to attend the wedding of the daughter of Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo in Abuja. Hon. Agha Mba and his wife, who later regained freedom, were said to have been kidnapped in Kogi State as well on their way to Abuja, the venue of the wedding of Soludo’s daughter.
Around mid-August this year also, gunmen kidnapped no fewer than 20 medical students from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos along the Otukpo, Benue – Enugu Road in Benue State. The medical students who were abducted while travelling to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FCMDS) Annual Convention in Enugu State were released after about 10 days.
On Friday, 11th of October, 2024, GIGM suffered the same fate when 13 of its passengers were again kidnapped on a journey on the Abuja – Port Harcourt route. The passengers were travelling from the GIGM Utako terminal in Abuja to Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to reports, including from the bus driver’s account, all passengers, except a nursing mother whose baby was crying incessantly, were kidnapped.
There are also many unreported cases, including loss of lives, on this highway and other corridors in Nigeria. These ugly incidents are not specific to the North-South corridor but also happen on most of the highways in Nigeria, where vehicles have to traverse large expanses of unmanned and unguarded forested areas.
Many Nigerians ask how long the federal government will wait to establish the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) to dedicate manning of these forested areas, smoke out criminals, and ensure the security and safety of Nigerians, especially travellers.
“There are strong convictions that with government backing for the NFSS through the enabling Act of the National Assembly, these forests will no longer be no-man’s land. They will fall under 24-hour surveillance, as well as dedicated guard and security of the officers and men of the NFSS.”
The NFSS had earlier indicated that it has a strategic plan to maintain full presence and guard in all forests and ensure a clear view of all highways in the forested areas by clearing 10m on both sides of the expressway to discourage any sudden attack or ambush of motorists.
