HURIWA tasks Enugu, Kogi govs on Opi-Nsukka road, insecurity

The Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has been urged to collaborate with the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, to persuade President Bola Tinubu to declare the Opi-Nsukka Road and the federal highway connecting Kogi and Enugu as a security emergency zone.

This designation would include establishing permanent military and mobile police bases.

On Sunday, October 27, 2024, a senior lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof Oguejiofo Ujam, was abducted along the Ugwuogo-Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road by armed bandits, just hours after an officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Emeason Chima, was similarly kidnapped. A N50 million ransom has been demanded for Chima’s release.

Raising concerns over these incidents, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) highlighted the abduction of Ujam, who serves as the Dean of the School of General Studies at UNN and the FRSC officer, as instances of the many kidnapping cases that have taken place.

HURIWA criticised the lack of committed security and intelligence efforts from state and federal governments to address the worsening security situation. It expressed shock at the increasing rate of kidnappings along the highway.

The association’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, also condemned a bill before the House of Representatives to arm FRSC officers.

The bill, sponsored by Abiodun Derin Adesida (APC, Ondo) and Olaide Lateef Muhammed (APC, Oyo), aims to authorise FRSC officials to carry firearms for the protection of FRSC infrastructure and personnel.

HURIWA argued that, if approved, the bill could lead to abuses of power, intimidation, and potential violence, particularly given Nigeria’s current socio-economic challenges.

The group added that passing the bill would contribute to the proliferation of firearms among untrained and unprofessional personnel, potentially increasing instances of extrajudicial killings of citizens.