Drivers Strike Over incessant Highway Kidnapping and Robberies
Rampant kidnapping along the Gusau-Dansadau road Zamfara has left the highway vacant of commercial driver owing to the ongoing four days strike.
Isihu Ticha, chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has drawn the attention of the police saying that 3 drivers have killed and four kidnapped and have been with their abductors for 40 days. He also said that kidnapping on the road has become a daily occurrence. He also said that a driver conveying a bride and wedding guest was shot dead then the bride and guest kidnapped.
A resident of Dansadau will speaking to the press said that some drivers no longer ferry passengers to Dansabau but rather stop at Yar Tasha Sahabi community which is 25km away from Dansabau where they would then take commercial motorbikes to reach Dansadau. For the commercial riders, that is a very dangerous mission as the rider and the passengers could be abducted or killed before reaching Dansadau or at a much safer side have his motorbike seizedhe.
“Even with this, at least seven motorbikes were seized from the commercial riders by the armed bandits since the start. Nine commercial riders had also lost their motorcycles to armed bandits las Friday.
“I can tell you that we are under siege because the refusal to ply the road by the commercial drivers have made the prices of the available commodities in Dansadau town to begin to skyrocket, especially tomato.
“From Dansadau if you move to the south like you are heading to Dandalla or Madada communities you would meet armed criminals not up to one kilometre. Likewise, if you head to west side, not up to one km you would come across different gangs of armed bandits.
The state police command reacting through its spokesman SP Muhammad Shehu said the command is up and doing to secure the road.
Shehu also called on community residents to assist security operatives with vital information on the movement of criminals adding that there are so many checkpoints along the road.
