Jos luxury bus chair decry increasing rate of kidnapping, robbery on highways

By Kingsley Chukwuka

Chairman of Luxury Bus Owners in Jos Plateau State, Chief Calistus Okeke, has decried incessant kidnap and robbery incidents on the nation’s highways.

The bus Chairman said an intensified patrol and surveillance on the nation’s highways will quell cases of armed robbery, kidnap and other violent attacks by hoodlums.

Okeke was speaking with our correspondent on Thursday in Jos, on the unfortunate reoccurrence of attacks by hoodlums on the popular Hawan Kibo Jos road.

It would be recalled that on the 15 of January 2022, suspected Fulani hoodlums attacked and killed a Media practitioner along Hawan Kibo and went on to abduct a traveler who was returning back to Jos from the south east.

Before and after then, series of kidnapping has been reported at the same spot with ransom running into several millions paid.

Okeke however said these criminal elements operate unmolested with dangerous weapons including sophisticated guns and machetes.

“They block the roads, divert vehicles and passengers into the thick bush unchallenged and unleash terror on their victims. Sometimes the victims are held for up to a week.

“We therefore, call on the IG of Police and the Special Military Task Force to deploy security formations to the affected areas to protect lives and property.

“A joint patrol of the Nigerian Army, Navy, Police, DSS and armed Civil Defense personnel should mount surveillance and carry out regular patrol to tackle this ugly trend.

“We have absolute confidence on security operatives to neutralize the activities of these fearless hoodlums, who have continued to terrorize our highways,” Okeke said.