‘A national shame’ — ACF condemns attacks along Kaduna-Abuja highway

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has described the frequent attacks and kidnappings along the Kaduna-Abuja expressway as a national shame.

In a statement on Monday, Emmanuel Yawe, the forum’s spokesperson, condemned the killing of Sagir Hamida, a Zamfara governorship aspirant in the 2019 election, by gunmen along the road.

Hamida was killed on Sunday when gunmen attacked travellers on the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

Several travellers were said to have been kidnapped during the attack, but the exact number of victims is yet to be confirmed.

“The ACF is becoming agitated by the unrestrained acts of terrorism on the strategic highway between Abuja the Federal Capital and Kaduna the former capital of defunct Northern region,” Yawe said.

“On a daily basis, Nigerians are being terrorised, kidnapped and killed without let on this road. This is a national shame and completely unacceptable to our forum.

“The latest victim of this act of terror is Alhaji Hamida Sagir, a retired Director of Protocol at the Federal Capital Development Autority FCDA and a governorship aspirant in Zamfara State who was shot and killed at Rijana. Indeed Rijana has become a popular spot where these terrorist attacks are committed on a daily and routine basis.

“This is a challenge that the security agencies must overcome. We are worried that everyday Nigerians are attacked at this same spot and our security men seem helpless in sorting out the security problems that make such attacks on the same spot easy.”

The forum called on Kaduna state and the federal government to save Nigerians from the frequent attack along the road.