By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
An Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Barrister Hamza N. Dantani, has raised the alarm over the loss of lives on a blocked section of the Kano-Maiduguri Expressway.
The particular section which, he claimed, had been shut for nine years now, is adjacent to Gomari Way, opposite Barwee Hotels, along Nigerian Air Force Barracks, Maiduguri, Borno state, North-East Nigeria.
In a letter to the Chief of Air Staff, dated December 17, 2024, and obtained by peopleandpolitics.net, Dantani alleged that scores of travellers had lost their precious lives due to the blocking of the road.
In the letter, also copied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum, the lawyer drew attention to the dire consequences arising from continued closure of the said section of the expressway.
He declared that as an indigene of Borno state, one that hails from Borno Central Senatorial District, he “appreciates the sacrifice and tireless efforts of the Nigerian Air Force and the military architecture of the country in safeguarding lives and property, particularly in these challenging times marked by heightened security situation all over the country.”
However, he stated that he wished “to bring to attention the dire consequences of the road’s closure given that it served as a crucial link between several significant parts of Maiduguri and the Northern parts of the country, and its importance to the daily activities of citizens.”
The lawyer added: “For emphasis, (it) is the access road to Borno State University, 777 and 1000 housing estates and other communities like Gomari, Moranti, amongst others.
“While I understand that the section was closed for security reasons as a result of insurgency, the prolonged restriction has had far reaching negative impacts on lives of motorists and residents; more so, the road was blocked nine years ago when there was a Boko Haram attack in that axis. However, since then, there has been no report of any attack in that area.”
Barrister Dantani observed that due to the blockage, the consequent concentration of traffic on the available single access lane has led to loss of many lives and properties on account of the imposed jostling for space by commuter vehicles and others.
Recalling how he became bereaved as a result of an avoidable auto crash on the said road, the lawyer stated: “Recently, my own family was personally affected when I lost my uncle, Abdullahi Umar, a former Staff of Borno Express, in a tragic accident on the road.
“This incident, one among many others, underscores the urgency of finding a balanced solution to the situation.”
While appealing to the Chief of Air Staff to wade in and mitigate the situation, he stated that “I will also like to point out that in other states, roads contiguous to military barracks have not been entirely restricted to public.”
He noted that: “The road along the barracks of other security forces in Borno state are not particularly restricted to the public. For instance, both lanes of the road along the Police Command in Maiduguri are open to the public and there have been no attacks.
“Same applies to the road adjacent Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, Borno state; even the dualized road in front of the Army Headquarters and Nigerian Police Headquarters in the nation’s capital remain open for use.”
While commending the security forces for their gallantry in fighting insurgency, the rights lawyer remarked that the regular use of access roads across some other security locations in the North showed that effective security measures “can co-exist with unhindered public access to critical infrastructure.”
