BEVERLY HILLS, April 19, (THEWILL) – Motorists plying the dilapidated Abak-Ekparakwa-Ikot Abasi, a federal highway in Akwa Ibom state undergoing construction by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC are facing threats to their lives as the diversion through Ikot Eval village has been taken over by hoodlums.
Persons who plied the road in recent times have complained that the risk was high as motorist had to drive through dirt tract for over 30 minutes before accessing a good portion of the road.
“It was very scary, I drove for over 30 minutes through a thick forest with dreaded looking village boys mounting road blocks to collect money. Considering your life in such situation, you do not want to be harassed before cooperating with your assailant. The guys were actually making good money on the diverted village road,” a lady who gave her name simply as Idongesit told our Correspondent.
According to residents, hoodlums have taken over the road and resorted to robbing and kidnapping unsuspecting commuters, especially those going to Ikot Abasi and Port Harcourt.
A boss driver who narrated his ordeal in the hands of the hoodlums told our Correspondent that the hoodlums have taken to killing their victims after robbing them.
He said; “My passengers were robbed at gunpoint other vehicles were robbed but I thank God that nobody was injured” he said.
The road diversion, according to the people in the community people, lacks the presence of security personnel while the narrow road is also collapsing due to a sudden increase in vehicular traffic.
Residents of the area who have continued to lament the activities of the hoodlums told this newspaper that many unsuspecting commuters have fallen prey to the hoodlums who exploit the commuters’ ignorance of the terrain to rob and kidnap them.
One such victim, a palm oil dealer who recognised one of his abductors, was killed by the hoodlums after the sum of N200,000 was allegedly collected from him.
Two other abducted commuters were said to have been killed by their abductors a week ago because they could not raise the ransom.
No less than five persons are said to have been killed within the last few weeks at the village.
When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, MacDon Odiko denied knowledge of the activities of the hoodlums on the federal highway.
According to him, nobody has reported any criminal activity in the area to the Command in the state.
He however did not mention if the command would take any action now that he had been informed about the situation.
The Federal Comptroller of Works in the state Engr Nkeruwem Ukpong after several unanswered calls to his phone finally replied to a text message, saying, “I’m just from the site, the contractor is working.”
The bad state of the Abak-Ikparakwa-Ikot Abasi highway have compound the woes of commuters between Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states as the Calabar-Itu highway, another federal road passing through the two states is almost impassable and would get worse when the rains begin.
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