By Sam Kayode
Chairman of the Nigerian Bar association (NBA), Borno State branch, Modu Greema, has called on the security agencies to step up their activities along the regular traveling routes used by commuters within Borno State.
He made the call in response to the abduction of Justice Haruna Mshelia which occurred along Biu Damaturu road recently while the judge was returning with his wife Binta also a Magistrate to Maiduguri after visiting Biu where he had gone to spend his Sallah break.
The NBA chairman said that the military has tried its best in the last couple of years considering the fact that the insurgents are more into hitting and running but more attention should be paid on the major roads which have economic value to commuters and residents so that these abductions will not be reoccurring.
“We heard that his lordship was traveling from Biu to Maiduguri to resume duties in Court three where he presides and had left Biu at about 10 am on that fateful Sunday hoping to unite with his family in Maiduguri.
“But half way through the journey he was abducted. As a matter of fact, a long convoy of cars were abducted but they chose only three of them including his to ride into the bush.
“So his driver had to painfully drive his Lordship and his wife Binta and his police orderly into the insurgent territory and we are yet to hear anything from them up till now..
“We have visited his family home here in Maiduguri and even his Lordship the Chief Judge of the state to commiserate with them over the very sad incident and we are hoping that he will soon be freed from captivity”, aid the NBA chair.
When contacted the police public relations officer, Nahum Daso, said that nothing has been heard yet on Justice Haruna Mshelia and his wife Magistrate Binta Mshelia or his orderly, Inspector Inusa Hamajoda or the driver’s abduction yet.
This incident is in addition to a recent abduction of a retired mechanical engineer on the same road, who is still in the hands of his Boko Haram abductors who are yet to release him.
“The abductions on this road, unfortunately happen in spite of the presence of several military check points as well as a special forces Military Training School located close by.
“These incidences of abductions are made worse by the very terrible nature of the road especially from the Borno/Yobe boundary to Biu, but most especially, Magza-kamuya-
Buratai road.
“Today, due to the dilapidated nature of the road, it takes the best of vehicles at least three hours to cover a distance of less than 70 kilometres from the Yobe boundary to Biu in southern Borno.
“Thus, because of the dilapidated nature of that road, a person riding on his autocycle, can overtake any moving vehicle, hence commuters have become sitting ducks for abductors.
“The importance of the Damaturu-Buratai-Biu road, to the commercial and socio- economic development of both Borno and Yobe states in particular and the North-East Sub-Region in general, cannot be overstressed especially with the over a decade long closure of Maiduguri-Damboa-
Biu road due to the insurgency that ravaged the state.
“For now, the Damaturu-Buratai-Biu road, is the only road that links Borno and Yobe state to the rest of Nigeria from the southern flank socially, culturally and most importantly economically, as dozens of both commercial and passenger vehicles ply that road.
“The other alternative, is the longer and treacherous Maiduguri-Damaturu-Potiskum-Gombe roads. There is therefore the need for all hands to be on deck to appeal to the Federal through the Borno state Government to come to the aid of the suffering people of the affected states to rehabilitate or totally reconstruct the road which was constructed in the Nineteen Seventies.
“In the alternative, rehabilitate, secure and reopen the about two hundred kilometres only, Maiduguri-Damboa-
Biu road. Doing that, will not only go a long way in checking the menace of this abductions, which is feared may get worst as the raining season sets in, but also assist in saving lives as well as boost socioeconomic development and well being of this areas.” said a watcher of developments in the north east of Nigeria.
