NLC condemns killings of 15 commuters along Abuja – Kaduna expressway

By Peter Usman:

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has condemned the slaughter of no fewer than 15 commuters on Sunday, 15th of November, 2020 at Gidan Busa, close to Rijana at the Kaduna end of the Abuja-Kaduna expressway by bandits and kidnappers.

The NLC, which expressed worries over the attack, noted that scores were reportedly wounded, more ran to the bush as over twenty vehicles were said to have been stopped and attacked.

The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement issued, signed and made available to our correspondent, said the lucky ones that escaped, live with scars and trauma of the attack.

Wabba asserted that with the current situation, the need for community participation cannot be overemphasised as the security agents alone cannot solve the problem.

According to the statment, “The Gidan Busa attack is not only one too many on that road, especially, at the Kaduna end of the road in recent times, it is arguably the most horrific and represents the height of impunity and lawlessness.

“There is no disputing the fact that all roads and all lives are important, but there is similarly no disputing the fact that the Kaduna – Abuja express way is among the first two busiest roads in the country by virtue of which it is a priority road deserving of all the monitoring it can get, especially given the spate of blood-curdling attacks”

The NLC boss emphatically stated that the security agents have not done enough to contain the surge of violence on that road.

He therefore call upon the security agents to rise to the renewed challenges of internal security.

Comrade Wabba however stated that except something is urgently done, we are fast degenerating into anarchy, with no place to hide.

“In the past couple of weeks alone, we have recorded multiple attacks in and around the same spot qualifying it to be designated a dark spot.

“We also need more intelligence as reaction almost always comes after damage has been done. We do need mobile recce on a sustainable basis instead of the present adhoc arrangement.

“Nonetheless, we make bold to say that we need community participation as our security agents alone cannot solve this problem given its spread.

“It is enough that the roads are bad and accident-inducing in addition to extortions, especially of food vendors.

“Meanwhile, our sympathy and condolences go to the injured and families of the decreased, respectively” he said.