Over 5, 000 youths yesterday barricaded the Kaduna-Lagos expressway in protest against government and security agencies’ laxities in containing the killing of motorists plying the route by armed robbers.
The killing of a lecturer of Kaduna State University (KASU) and one other passenger on Saturday by robbers operating in the area precipitated the demonstration, according to a source.
The situation led to long hours of waiting by travelers and motorists plying the road that connects Birnin Gwari to Kaduna town and with Niger state, Zamfara and Katsina states, including those travelling to Southern Nigeria.
The road was finally opened around 2pm after a security meeting at the palace of Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Zubairu Jibril II.
The angry youths chanting anti-government slogans said government at all levels and security agencies were not doing enough in view of the frequency of attacks in the area.
One of them, Moddibo Birnin Gwari, said: “We decided to come out and protest because we are in a death trap. Everyday armed robbers kill our people on the road without any serious attempt by government and security agencies to arrest the situation; that is why we blocked the road today (yesterday).
“We even prevent the military from entering the town and it was after a resolution was reached at the Emir’s Palace that we opened the road.”
He added that the lecturer’s murder was painful, saying: “He was the son of our Imam and he had just completed his second degree; he was a lecturer at Kaduna State University.”
Our reporter could not reach the spokesman of Kaduna state Police Command, Superintendent Aminu Lawan, but another source said Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero had sent a delegation to the area to broker peace.
