Traders, taxi operators and passengers in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State are furious with security operatives who closed the Maiduguri-Damboa highway for five days because of attacks by insurgents and other criminals, leaving travellers stranded without money, food and a place to stay.

Abubakar Ibrahim, a traveller from Mubi who was among those stranded in Damboa town, told RNI that he was upset and worried because the closure was not only bad for passengers, it also affected traders and their business activities.

“I have spent almost three days here in Damboa town because there is no way to travel back to Mubi, my hometown in Adamawa State, and all my money has finished.

“All passengers have been stranded because security operatives refuse to reopen the road. We need the road to be reopened because we rely on it for our day-to-day business activities.”

Dahiru Damboa, a resident of Damboa town, said: “Travellers are facing serious challenges because of the closure of the road. About 10 to 15 trucks loaded with perishable goods, such as vegetables and fruits, remain stranded and all the food is beginning to rot.

“We dare not try to travel through the forest because of the security risks involved. We will more likely be killed than get to our destination.

“When we travel through the forest, it takes at least two days to reach our destination and it’s awfully expensive. If we use the Maiduguri-Damboa highway, the fare costs ₦‎2,500. If we travel through the forest, we pay ₦6,000, despite the associated security risks.

“There are passengers or travellers from Maiduguri – mostly women and children – in Damboa who are stranded. We have been giving them food. They do not have a place to stay and are living in the motor park.”

Dahiru Damboa said he hoped the road would be reopened soon so that things could go back to normal.

“I am pleading with the Borno State government and the Nigerian Army to take proactive security measures so that when the road is reopened travellers’ lives and possessions will be safe.”

Maryam Ali was one of the women who was stranded in Damboa.

“We have spent almost five days at the motor park. It is incredibly challenging, especially if you have young children to deal with as well. We want to get back to Maiduguri but we have spent most of our money on food and a place to rest.“

And we cannot travel through the forest or any other way because of security risks, as well as the prohibitive cost of transportation, which is ₦6,000. The normal route on the highway costs ₦2,500. We are begging the military and other security operatives to reopen the main road for easy transportation of goods and passengers.”

Modu Bukar, a member of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) which conducts patrols along the Maiduguri-Damboa highway, told RNI that the reason the road was closed for five days was because of recent attacks along the highway.

“Security operatives who were escorting travellers from Maiduguri to Damboa were ambushed by insurgents on November 25. That was why the decision was taken to close the road. But now we have partially reopened it so that goods and passengers can get to their destinations.

“We have put in place stringent security measures to curtail further attacks along the road.”

Bukar said security officials were urging people to come forward if they had any useful information about suspicious movements and if they came across foreign objects.

“We need maximum cooperation from every person for safety and security for all.”

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO