No fewer than 120 persons have lost their lives in fatal accidents along the 130-kilometre Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Biu road linking Yobe and Borno states.

The crashes have been attributed to the poor condition of the highway, which was constructed by the Federal Government in the 1980s. Drivers and commuters described the 45-year-old road as a death trap that has claimed lives for over three decades.

The Yobe State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Andrew Longkam, who spoke at the weekend on the deplorable state of the highway, said the rate of auto crashes along the road reduced by only 25 per cent in 2025.

“The rate of auto crashes along this road reduced by only 25 per cent in 2025,” he said, noting that this was despite the filling of multiple potholes and repairs carried out on certain sections of the road in 2023 and 2024.

A recent victim of a crash in July, who requested anonymity, lamented that the condition of the road had worsened insecurity in the area.

“As the military counter-terrorism operations are ongoing, this road fuels insurgency and kidnappings of persons along the road since July 2009,” the source said.

He added that terrorists exploit the neglected road to abduct and kill motorists and travellers along the Damaturu-Biu axis.

A passenger travelling to Gombe through the highway, Hajiya Fatima Ya’u, expressed frustration shared by many road users, including farmers and firewood gatherers.

“This road is very bad. It became necessary for me to travel along this route because I do not have the means to take the longer and safer road through Potiskum and Darazau in Bauchi State,” she said.

She appealed to the federal and state governments to reconstruct the road before the end of 2026.

“We are begging the federal and state governments to rebuild the dilapidated road before the end of 2026 for us,” she said, urging authorities to rehabilitate the 45-year-old road to prevent further attacks and abductions of civilians and security personnel in the region.

Also speaking, a journalist who accompanied Nigerian troops on a media tour said he witnessed the deplorable state of the federal highway linking Borno, Adamawa and Gombe states in the North-East.

“What we discovered was a stretch of despair — gaping potholes, stranded vehicles and commuters by the roadside with fears of being attacked and abducted by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists from the Sambisa Forest,” Musa said.

He added that despite years of hardship, commuters continued to ply the road because they had no alternative routes to their destinations.