Drivers plying Emohua-Ahoada axis of the East/West road have lamented the increasing rate of kidnapping and robbery along that axis.
The Tide reports that road users have experienced incessant robbery and kidnapping attacks on buses and passengers among which was the recent kidnapping of passengers aboard a coaster bus coming from Abua to Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
Speaking to The Tide on Tuesday, an executive council member of National Union of Road Transport Workers, Gift Chukwunyere urged the federal and state governments to join forces to improve security on the roads.
He pointed out that the criminals operate in-between two police checkpoints, suggesting that government should float a federal and State highway police patrol team that would shuttle Mbiama-Ahoada and Emohua route on regular basis, with a view to close up some of the security lapses on the East/West road.
A commercial bus driver, Ade Sikiru who plies Rumuokoro to Yenagoa said that drivers and passengers plying the route risk their lives daily as the criminals had deviced ways of manovering the security apparatus put in place to check the criminal activities of the kidnappers.
He pointed out that the recent tactics the criminals adopted was to operate in-between two police check points unnoticed, stressing that the security agencies should introduce a regular highway police patrol team that would close the gap between two police check points.
A road user, Beimor Edemor commended the police force for their efforts toward combating the increase of insecurity in the state, saying that the criminal activities in the state emanated from the selfish politicians who engaged the hoodlums in the last election and could not disarm them, rather the boys were now using the arm to cause mayham in the society.
He appealed to politicians who previously engaged these kidnappers to talk to them to spare peoples lives and engage themselves in meaningful activities.