The Kaduna state caucus in the House of Representatives, has demanded the restoration of safety to the Abuja-Kaduna federal highway.
Led by Hon. Garba Datti at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the caucus lamented the increasing cases of banditry and kidnapping along the road, with several reported deaths.
“The state of insecurity in Nigeria has been a matter of grave concern to all well meaning patriots for several years now and that this has come in the form of militancy, insurgency and banditry, amongst others.
“This state of insecurity has severely affected travel on Nigerian roads as Nigerians have either opted to remain where they are or opt for means of transportation that are outside their means or convenience.
Not so long ago, there were concerning incessant incidents of banditry along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway and measures were taken that appeared to have minimised the threat on that stretch of road. It was hoped that that would be the beginning of the end of the challenge of insecurity on our roads as it affected the entire country. Sadly, this has not been the case. Instead the phenomenon of banditry has steadily and increasingly found its way back to the Abuja-Kaduna highway”, Datti stated.
According to the lawmaker, in the last five (5) days, the development “has reached its deplorable and lamentable peak as a spate of attacks, killings, abductions, kidnappings and robberies has engulfed the Abuja-Kaduna Highway has resulted in a crisis of frightening and calamitous proportions.
“On Sunday 21 November, 2021, in the most publicised but certainly not the only one of such daring attacks over the last few days, a retired Director of Protocol of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and a Governorship aspirant in Zamfara State, Hamidu Sagir was brutally killed while a yet to be ascertained number of commuters were abducted in terrifying circumstances”.
While commending Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for his efforts so far, the group said “the Abuja Kaduna highway is the key outlet for the transportation of persons, goods and services across Nigeria and this is evident in the extraordinary traffic on it round the clock. For these and other reasons that cannot be accommodated in this statement, it is imperative that the secure state of the Abuja-Kaduna Highway must be restored at once”.
