By Dada Ahmed
The Okene-Lokoja A2 high way in Kogi State used to be the delight of an average motorist plying it to other parts of the country in the mid 70s to mid 80s, in view of its low level of insecurity and the smooth journey enjoyed by travellers.
The highway may not possess weird topography such as dangerous bends,characteristic of some other roads that send fears into spine of some drivers band passengers passing it.
However,many of the motorists say that they will not mince words in consenting to the fact that, the fear of Okene-Lokoja high way is the beginning of their wisdom.
The road which has colonial history is very strategic in the social and economic development of Nigeria in that it plays pivotal role in linking the the eastern, south-south and south west zones to the north.
The 70-kilometre federal high way also cut the fancy of drivers, especially the commercially oriented ones, as their vehicles witnessed minimal wear and tear due to insignificant number of potholes on the road in the past.
But all that is fast giving way to fear in the minds of drivers and passengers plying the road as criminals, especially kidnappers and armed robbers, have turned the facility to their den, unleashing reign of terror on innocent members of the society pursuing their legitimate ends, using the road.
To many travellers either visiting to kogi or transiting the state to other parts of the country,what comes to their minds, first and foremost, is the fear of the road which invariably means the beginning of their wisdom.
Empirical evidence gives credence to people’s negative perception of the road in terms of insecurity of life and property as exemplified by the soaring incidences of kidnapping and armed robbery that characterise the road, especially in recent time.
Many indigenes of Okene and it’s environs living in Lokoja say they always have to intensify prayer each time they ply the road to visit relations at home, not only for accident free journey but also to escape kidnappers and armed robbers having field day on their unsuspecting motorists, almost on a weekly, if not daily basis.
For instance, July 2020 is one month that the military authorities will not forget in a hurry as they lost three of their personnel to either armed robbers or kidnappers and carried out their henious crime on the road with impunity.
Captain GSM Abubakar and members of his immediate family travelling from Lagos to Haji in Kaduna state,fell victim of kidnappers on the road.
Abubakar, a trained artillery soldier, bubbling with life, had his life terminated by men suspected to be kidnappers who stormed the Mack farms axis of the road,killing the fine officer and led his wife and children into the bush, demanding ransom for them to regain freedom.
Barely 48 hours after the terrible incident, armed robbers also took control of the highway and killed two naval officers.
Earlier, the kidnappers halted the bus conveying the celebrants and others coming from Okene to Lokoja after their wedding ceremony in Okene and matched them into the bush and demanded a N30 million for their victims to regain freedom.
Sources said it took the families of the victims some agonising experience to raise N10 million and a lot plea for the kidnappers in order to secure the freedom of their relations one of who,male, paid the supreme price.
The air of uncertainty surrounding life and property on the highway in question has prompted various clarion calls by concerned members of the public on the Federal,the Kogi state and government as well as police authorities to do something urgent to arrest the menace.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kogi state chapel and an ebira indigene, Alhaji Momojimoh Jimoh, in a statement, called on the police to restore police check point, to stem criminal activities on the highway.
But in his addendum, a management expert,Lamidi Itopa Lawal, while marking his 58th birthday in Lokoja recently,called on the police to engage in mobile check points to effectively curb crim es on the highway in the state.
He argued that by so doing, criminals would not know specific check point to avoid,adding the method would also weaken their intension to strike their victims at a particular spot on the highway.
In their response,the authorities concerned say they are not unaware of increasing wave of kidnapping and other crimes along the highway but are determined to curb the menace to the barest minimum.
This the state government matched word with action, in collaboration with the Nigeria police to establishment two Mobile Police stations in the state.
The stations, located in Okene in the Central Senatorial district and the other between Obajana and Kabba in the West Senatorial district of the state have been charged with the responsibility of fishing out kidnappers,armed robbers and other criminal elements having field day on the highway.
They are mandated to mop up illegal guns in the two districts in ensuring that residents and those on transit in the state breath fresh air as far as security of life and property is concerned on the road.
Kogi state government, the custodian of the road,says continued protection of life and property, especially on the road remains its top priority.
Kingsley Fanwo, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, however, stressed the need for the people to see security as a collective responsibility and not that of government alone.
He said:”It is a time for all of us to come together to rededicate ourselves and thrust our trust in the system that has earned us rave commendations as one of the best in the area of security.
“The latest onslaught against our state and our people has been unfortunate and sad. We stand with the families that lost their loved ones and breadwinners to the cowards in the garbs of criminals. The victims won’t lose their lives in vain.
“The State Government wishes to also allay the fears of travellers on our roads. Our style is not different from the global standards which stipulate that, security strategies do not become a public product. But we are doing everything a responsible government should do to ensure security of lives and property of the people.
“We sympathize with the armed forces for the personnel lost to the men of the underworld.
“The loses won’t bend our resolve to make Kogi State a hard place for criminals to perpetrate their heinous crimes.
“It is no time for anyone to spread rumours and trade blames or release travel directories that could drive fears into our people. The administration under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello will change the narrative in a couple of days.
“High level security plans and strategies have been put in place to reappraise the situation and devise new security architecture to address the ugly trend.
“Our security agents have the capacity to stamp the pockets of criminal activities out of the state. We are winning the war.
“We urge all Kogites to support our efforts, plans and security agencies in order to reestablish our capacity to ensure security across the state.
“To our people, the Government is with you. Our roads are safe as security personnel have been deployed to handle the emerging threats and for effective intelligence gathering to ensure our people are safe while travelling on our roads.”
In all, keen watchers of security situation in Kogi state commended the state government for ensuring the safety of life and property but urged increased efforts in the onerous task in order to retain the status of one the safest states to live in the country, as claimed.
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