INSECURITY AND NIGHT TRAVEL IN NIGERIA
Many Nigerians are hesitant to travel at night, especially along routes considered red zones due to security challenges – banditry and kidnappings
On Friday, September 1, 2024, we missed our flight from Yola to Abuja. The next day, Saturday, September 2, 2024, we decided to embark on an adventurous road trip from Yola to Abuja. We left Yola early in the morning, around 6 a.m., and reached the village of Lafiya Lamurde by a few minutes before 8 a.m. Lafiya Lamurde is about 90 km away from Yola.
There, we encountered a security roadblock with several vehicles parked. Every Saturday is sanitation day in Adamawa State, so we were required to wait until 10 a.m. when normal activities would resume. However, the road was opened 15 minutes earlier, at 9:45 a.m., allowing us to continue our journey toward Gombe.
A few kilometres before reaching Gombe, we had a flat tire caused by our driver’s reckless overtaking on a sharp bend. An articulated vehicle had broken down on the road, and our vehicle struck some rocks while swerving to avoid it. We stopped to change the tire, only to discover that there was neither a jack nor a wheel spanner in the car. Fortunately, the driver of the vehicle we had overtaken sensed the danger and stopped to assist us. With his help, we changed the tire and continued on to Gombe, where we bought a new tire, visited some acquaintances, and proceeded toward Bauchi.
We arrived in Bauchi around 3:30 p.m. After stopping at a fuel station to refuel the car, we took a break to perform our Zuhr and Asr prayers, and had some small snacks. When we were ready to resume our journey, the car refused to start. We initially thought it was a fuel pump issue, but after an electrician checked the vehicle, he confirmed the fuel pump was fine. Suspecting an electrical fault, we called a mechanic, who determined the issue was actually with the timing chain. As it was approaching 6 p.m., we realized the car needed to be towed to a mechanic workshop for repairs.
With a morning meeting scheduled in Abuja, we decided to hire a commercial vehicle for ₦70,000 to take us from Bauchi to Abuja. We left Bauchi just before 7 p.m., and by the time we reached Jos, it was already dark and raining. Our driver mentioned that the road from Jos City to the famous “forest” was in poor condition.
From Jos, it was already past 8 p.m., and it was raining – we had embarked on a night journey, something many Nigerians try to avoid. Our journey from the popular “forest” to Abuja via Akwanga and Keffi was not only adventurous but surprisingly exciting. Despite the late hour and rain, there was heavy traffic and numerous security checkpoints.
We noticed that the checkpoints were strategically positioned, spaced a few kilometres apart. Some were manned by the military, others by the police, and some by civil defence officers. Additionally, we observed routine patrols by both the military and police, with some military patrols even using motorbikes.
We must commend the security agencies—the heavy traffic was likely a result of people feeling assured by the strong presence of checkpoints. However, we also noticed the presence of local tax collectors operating on the road, even though it was late at night.
Transportation experts note that night journeys by road offer unique experiences: quieter roads, cooler temperatures, time efficiency, and even scenic beauty. However, they also come with challenges such as limited visibility, driver fatigue, and a heightened risk of accidents.
Our night journey from Bauchi to Abuja, which lasted from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. via Jos, Akwanga, and Keffi, was both exciting and adventurous. The security presence was excellent—kudos to the office of the National Security Adviser and all the security agencies. The heavy traffic reflected people’s confidence in the safety of the route. However, many sections of the road were in poor condition, which remains a concern.
Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja
