Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have sent a Save-our-Soul to President Muhammad Buhari pleading with him to intervene and save the people from further killing and kidnapping on the East-West road.
The NURTW which said it has lost three of its drivers to the kidnappers in the month of April also called on Baylesa State governor and his Rivers State counterpart to also urged Buhari to deploy a joint security team to the road.
Mr Morris Alagoa, secretary of CLO who was in the NURTW office at Ekeki on Thursday for a meeting to fashion out a way forward on the insecurity on the road noted that road users plying the East-West road are no longer safe especially along the Elele Alimi, Rumuekpe junction, Ndele , Rumuuji axis up to the Emouha local government headquarters in Rivers State.
The SOS read in part: “Yes, there is need for concerted efforts to bring this threat to a halt. Passengers and other road users plying the East -West road are no longer at ease or safe, especially the area between Elele, Rumuekpe junction, Ndele ,Rumuuji up to the Emouha local government headquarters in Rivers State. The threat to lives and property have taken a daily dimension as kidnappers take victims at ease, killing drivers who try to act smart instantly.”
“On Tuesday morning, a commercial vehicle driver heading for Lagos was shot and killed around Ndele. Some Bayelsans who either witnessed or got there shortly after the incident confirmed it, including the state secretary of CLO, Comrade Timi Igoli. Only recently too, a staff of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigerian Bayelsa office said she witnessed similar incident when the vehicle she was travelling in arrived the scene and she saw several victims being led into the bush by kidnappers.
“This is another call on the Bayelsa and Rivers states governors to be in the lead, to ensure that proper arrangement for military operatives to replace the police or a joint task force be stationed and strategically go after those perpetrating the crime and their sponsors no matter how highly placed.”
“I want to remind the security agencies and, especially the Federal government that the protection of lives and property are first line responsibilities of any legitimate government. If government cannot protect the citizens anymore, then they should allow all to bear arms. When will enough be enough?”