From Maiharaji Altine
There was a complete absence of movement of vehicles along Gusau-Dansadu road in Zamfara state when Analyzer news visited the place on a fact-finding mission.
The visit was to ascertain whether the road was completely abandoned due to persistent attacks, killings and kidnapping of passengers by bandits who are currently occupying the area because of the dilapidated nature of the road.
The road, which is about 110 kilometres is the federal government’s road and has been in dilapidated nature for a long period of time despite its socio-economic importance and no positive step was taken towards it’s repairs.
The road which was constructed by the administration of former President Shehu Shagari in 1982 has never been repaired since then until in 2002 when the first civilian Governor of the state, Ahmed Sani Yarima awarded a contract for it’s minor repairs.
There are many towns and villages along the road, while more than 30 percent of food items produced by the people of the state are cultivated by the inhabitants of this area.
A visit to the road by our reporter has shown that, the entire tarred road has completely worn out as if it has never been tarred before. The asphalt has since been worn out, living the road to look like as if it has never been tarred.
The road which links Zamfara to Kebbi and Kaduna states has now turned into a death trap as a result of too many potholes and cracks coupled with heavy presence of armed bandits who are always around the area waiting for people to kidnap.
Many lives were lost, thousands of people were kidnapped, while millions of Naira have been paid as ransom on this road, a situation that has forced the people of the state to stop plying the road unless with heavy security escort.
An indigene of the area, Musa Garba told Analyzer news that, motorists wanting to travel on the road must be in a group then later invite the military to escort them.
Garba explained that, the number of motorists is usually from 20 and above while no fewer than 30 soldiers would be assigned to give them escort in case of bandits attacks.
He stressed that it was very impossible for a driver to drive along the without being attacked by notorious bandits who were in total control of the entire area.
He said, “It is very disastrous for anybody to attempt going to Dansadau town from Gusau without being escorted by the security personnel”.
“The area is a danger zone and nobody has ever tried going to Dansadau without a security escort”.
“That is why, we usually travel in group and seek for an escort from the military personnel who are deployed to the area to render such service”.
Many motorists interviewed by our reporter have expressed displeasure over the nonchalant attitude of the concerned authorities to repair the road and deploy enough security personnel despite series of complaints from members of the public.
A motorist, Alhaji Ahmed Abdul Aziz said, he has since stopped going to Dansadau town for his business activities because of the insecurity situation and the poor condition of the road.
He maintained that, it was less than an hour journey from Gusau to Dansadau when the road was good in the 80s lamenting however that, “It now takes you more than three hours”.
Another motorist, Malam Ilyasu Gusau told our reporter that, the road has become a deathtrap, adding that, ” if you see anybody on that road, he is either from that area or is on special assignment “.
According to him, the road used to be one of the busiest roads in the state but was now almost abandoned due to rampant cases of banditry.
Malam ilya therefore appealed to both the state and federal government to come to the aid of the people of the area, repair the road and deploy enough security personnel.
He said, “If the road is repaired and adequate security personnel are attached, it would boost the socioeconomic activities of the people of the area who are mostly farmers”.
He stated that more than half of food crops produced in that state came from that area, urging the concerned authorities to repair the road and provide security due to it’s economic importance.
An indigene of the area, Malam Ibrahim Kazauda said, the road has become a bandits flashpoint, adding that, “Bandits have now invaded most of the villages around that road turning them to be their hideouts”.
Kazauda maintained that his main worry whenever he was coming to Gusau town from his village was the potholes he would pass through and the bandits he would come across with before arriving at his destination, calling on the government to do something on the road.
The village head from the area who thought for anonymity explained that, they have lodged many complaints to appropriate authorities regarding the repairs of the road and the security challenges lamenting that nothing was done to alleviate their suffering.
“We have been complaining to the authorities but nothing has been done yet”.
Speaking to Analyzer news on the issue, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media Mustafa Jafaru Kaura said, the government was quite aware of the sad development.
Kaura stressed that, the state government was taking necessary measures to ensure free movement of goods and services in all parts of the state through the restoration of peace in a near future.
He maintained that, the government has already deployed security personnel to the security prone areas like Dansadau road.
He further explained that as a permanent solution to security challenges affecting the state, the state government has recruited 4500 Community Protection Guards who were currently under training and would be posted to their localities to assist the conventional security personnel on the fight against banditry.
He said, “The state government is currently taking necessary measures to rid the state of all forms of criminalities”.
“The state government has already deployed security personnel to Gusau-Dansadu road as well as other security prone areas”.
“As a permanent solution to banditry activities, the state government has recruited Community Protection Guards and will soon be deployed to their respective localities to help the security personnel in the fight against banditry”.
“We are hopeful that in the near future, we will rid the state of banditry activities”.
