By Sunday Ani
The Director General, African Writers’ Centre, Lagos, Amah A. Amah, has joined other Nigerians to call on the Federal Government to take urgent and decisive action to stem the tide of incessant kidnapping on the highways. This, he said, the government could achieve by establishing a Forest Guard.
The call became imperative as the year 2024 gradually draws to an end and Nigerians prepare to embark on the end of year holiday plans, with many planning to travel from one part of the country to another.
He noted that the common question on the lips of average Nigerians planning a trip between the Northern and Southern parts of the country using the road, considering the fact that air fare is quite out of reach of the common man, is how to embark on such journey without being kidnapped.
“This is because travel from the South to Northern Nigeria corridor 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 on this highway.
“The most recent victims were the passengers on a popular transport company; God is Good Motors (GIGM), travelling along this very important and commercially viable corridor.
“According to reports, all the 14 passengers travelling on the bus from Port Harcourt to Abuja were abducted when gunmen attacked the vehicle around Obajana, just after the Dangote Refinery at Obajana heading to Lokoja in Kogi State on Saturday, November 30, 2024.
“The unknown gunmen reportedly kidnapped the passengers on the bus. It was only the driver that escaped. Available information as at the time of filing this report was that the kidnappers had demanded N100 million as ransom to secure the release of each of the passengers.
“On Saturday, February 3, this year, 12 passengers of GIGM and two of the ABC Transport were kidnapped in Kogi on the same highway. The passengers were en-route 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 five 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, Patrick Agha Mba and his 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. Mba and his wife, who later regained freedom were said to have been kidnapped in Kogi State as well.
“Around mid-August this year also, gunmen kidnapped about 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 attend the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FCMDS) Annual Convention in Enugu were released after about 10 days.
“On Friday, October 11, 2024, GIGM suffered the same fate when 13 of its passengers were again kidnapped on a journey along Abuja – Port Harcourt route. The passengers were travelling from GIGM Utako Terminal in Abuja to Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to reports, including the bus driver’s account, all the passengers, except a nursing mother whose baby was crying incessantly, were kidnapped,” he stated.
He lamented that there were also so many unreported cases, including loss of lives on these highways and other corridors in Nigeria, stressing that the ugly trend is not specific to the North – South corridor, since it also happens on most of the highways in Nigeria, where vehicles have to traverse large expanses of forested areas that are unmanned and unguarded.
He, therefore, wondered how long the Federal Government would wait before establishing the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) for dedicated manning of the forested areas, to smoke out the criminals and ensure security and safety of Nigerians, especially travelers.
He expressed confidence that with the government’s backing for the NFSS through an enabling Act of the National Assembly; the unmanned forests would no longer be a no-man’s land, as they would be under 24 hours’ surveillance and dedicated guard by security officers and men of the NFSS.
“The NFSS had earlier indicated that it has a strategic plan to, not just maintain full presence and guard in all forests, but also ensure a clear view of all highways in the forested areas by clearing 10 metres on both sides of the expressway to discourage any sudden attack or ambush of motorists.
“The mood of Nigerians is that the Federal Government should expedite action on the NFSS Bill on the floor of the National Assembly as a panacea to save Nigerians from terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and all forms of crimes that ungoverned and unmanned forests have cocooned in Nigeria.
“Among many other regrettable consequences, some of the negative impacts of these incidents that have become rampant are that there are many unaccounted loss of lives, Nigeria’s international image is being battered daily as a very unsafe country for business and investment, the unfortunate situation gives a strange impression to citizens and the international community that the Federal Government cannot protect lives and properties in the country, there is health related stress, as well as deep emotional and psychological trauma to the victims and their families, huge revenues are lost through payments of ransom, the road transport business is being threatened and the corporate image of affected companies are being smeared,” he stated.