Because the yuletide beckons, many Nigerians keen to journey by highway to their varied states for the celebrations might not have such alternative this yr, findings by THE POINT have revealed.
Their main problem is the worsening reviews of kidnapping and killings throughout the nation.
They stated the sorry state of roads and rising kidnapping on highways have made it “extremely harmful” to journey lengthy distances for Christmas and New 12 months celebrations.
Insecurity in Nigeria has deteriorated as extra Nigerians are being kidnapped and killed every day.
A safety report had revealed that no fewer than 1,111 Nigerians had been killed, whereas 276 others had been kidnapped within the month of June 2025 alone, underneath President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The info, compiled by safety analysts and civil society {groups}, confirmed that though these figures symbolize a slight drop in comparison with Could—when 1,296 deaths and 1,086 abductions had been recorded—the general state of affairs stays deeply alarming.
Based on the report, civilian casualties accounted for 804 of the full deaths; the North-Central area suffered the best fatalities, primarily from farmer-herder clashes; the North-West area recorded essentially the most abductions, making up 72% of all reported kidnappings.
From Could 2023, when President Tinubu assumed workplace, to Could 2024, a complete of 4,416 Nigerians had been killed, and 4,334 had been kidnapped in over 4,600 recorded violent incidents, suggesting a persistently worsening safety disaster nationwide.
Regardless of elevated safety deployments and varied army operations, the threat posed by terrorists, gunmen, and armed {groups} continues to outpace authorities response efforts.
As Nigerians mourn their losses and communities stay on edge, civil society organizations have known as for pressing reforms, higher intelligence coordination, and a renewed nationwide safety technique.
Final week, it was as if all hell was let unfastened on the nation following a sequence of killings and abductions.
Brigadier Normal Uba and three of his males had been kidnapped and publicly executed by Islamist terrorists in Borno State.
Sixty-four civilians, together with ladies and kids, had been kidnapped in Tsafe Native Authorities Space of Zamfara State by terrorists.
A minimum of 25 feminine college students and their principal had been kidnapped from a college in Maga, Kebbi State the identical week by Islamist terrorists whereas their vice principal was killed.
No fewer than 38 worshippers had been kidnapped from a church in Eruku, Kwara State.
The identical day, one policeman was killed in an assault by Islamist terrorists in Geidam, Yobe State.
About eight members of the Civilian Process Power had been killed and three kidnapped by terrorists in Gwoza, Borno State.
Additionally, 15 folks had been kidnapped, together with 4 nursing moms and infants, and two individuals had been killed in Sabon Birni, Sokoto State by terrorists.
In Ekiti State, 4 rice farmers had been killed in an assault by terrorists in Edu, Kwara State.
In Agwara, Niger State, about 303 college students and lecturers had been kidnapped in a Catholic faculty locally.
President Donald Trump of the USA of America had designated Nigeria as a Nation of Explicit Concern, expressing claims of Christian genocide.
Apart from the worry of being kidnapped whereas on a journey or within the communities they’d be touring to for the forthcoming Christmas and New 12 months celebrations, some Nigerians informed THE POINT that the present state of the inter-state roads has degenerated in the previous couple of months.
Whereas those that traveled with their private automobiles in the previous couple of weeks are lamenting the sorry state of the highway, those that traveled by way of commuter buses even have their very own justifiable share of expertise, as many slept on the highway for days.
From the South-West to South-South, South-East, and North-Central, amongst others, there have been tales of woe on these roads.
In Osun State, motorists and different highway customers lamented the harmful situations of some inter-state roads throughout the state.
They known as for rapid intervention to make the roads motorable.
Checks by THE POINT revealed that the affected unhealthy roads included Osogbo/Iwo/Oyo highway, Kwara boundary roads, and Ilesa-Ibadan roads.
They stated the Iree/Otan/Ila/Ora to Kwara state boundary roads have grow to be almost impassable for autos.
Additionally, Ifon to Oyo boundaries are additionally begging for consideration.
Potholes riddled Osogbo-Iwo-Oyo roads, and plenty of motorists, together with Sola Akande, stated the highway discouraged vacationers from touring at evening due to worry of being kidnapped.
“Our main complications as business transporters should do with Ilesa-Ibadan highway and Osogbo-Iwo-Oyo highway.
We not load within the night at our parks as a result of no passenger desires to journey by evening on these roads.
We’re all afraid that kidnappers might even make the most of the poor roads to abduct folks,” he stated.
Though many described Ilesa-Ibadan highway as a federal highway, they known as on the Osun State Authorities to repair the highway for the sake of vacationers.
A commuter at Ibadan park at Previous Storage Space of Osogbo, who merely recognized himself as Deji, informed THE POINT that every time he desires to journey to the capital of Oyo State, he’s at all times afraid.
“My brother (our reporter), everybody can see these roads are unhealthy.
If not that what I’m going to do in Ibadan is essential, I gained’t go.
The roads are in horrible form, particularly from Ibadan all the way down to Ikire and after Gbongan.
Even when this can be a federal highway, I believe Osun State Authorities can take it up and repair these roads, then later gather the cash, it’ll save us from frequent accidents which are recorded on these roads,” the passenger stated.
Regardless of the Minister of Works, David Umahi’s promise that every one federal roads could be made motorable by Christmas, many federal roads have remained in deplorable situation.
It was gathered that motorists touring to completely different components of the nation had harrowing experiences plying a lot of the roads, and journeys that ought to take 4 or eight hours stretched to 12 hours, forcing transport firms to boost fares in several components of the nation.
Umahi had, throughout a stakeholders’ city corridor assembly organized by the Ministry of Works in Akure, Ondo State, said that federal highway controllers had been instructed to report the situations of roads of their areas to make sure that by Christmas, all federal highways could be in usable situation.
Nevertheless, most of the roads remained untouched, and development tools couldn’t be sighted on a lot of the roads.
Among the many roads which are impassable or partially in disrepair are Sagamu-Ore Expressway; previous Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway by Ile Zik; Okigwe-Akaeze-Afikpo federal highway; Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal freeway; Enugu-Oturkpo-Makurdi Freeway; Onitsha-Owerri and Owerri-Umuahia Street; in addition to Itanla-Ile-Oluji-Ipetu Expressway and Port Harcourt-Owerri Street.
An engineer, Nnamdi Kevin, stated the minister ought to clarify to the folks of South-East why there was no presence of the Federal Street Upkeep Company on their roads.
“Earlier than, FERMA could be discovering options to unhealthy parts of roads to make them motorable, however it’s not the case underneath this administration,” he stated.
A resident of Abuja, Chinedu Ugwu, defined that he wouldn’t be touring to his “village” in Enugu State for the approaching Christmas.
“I’m not going wherever, my brother (reporter).
With what is going on on this nation, it isn’t secure for one to journey an extended distance.
These kidnappings are rising day-after-day, and with unhealthy roads throughout, touring for me is risking my life.
I’ll keep on this Abuja and have fun my Christmas and New 12 months,” Ugwu stated.