In the face of heightened insecurity, the Osun State mobile police force has admonished its personnel accompanying any air-bound VIP against travelling by road, or they will face severe disciplinary actions, raising the question “who can ply the Nigerian roads?”

Recall that in a letter received by the aviation agencies on November 8, the Federal Government directed the Nigeria Customs Service to ground 91 private jets belonging to some wealthy Nigerians over their alleged refusal to pay import duties running to over N30bn.

According to the letter titled ‘Recovery of Aviation Import Duty on Privately Owned Aircraft Operating in the Country’ with reference codes 19755747 and 19755746 “, The Federal Government, in its drive for enhanced revenues, has mandated the Nigeria Customs Service to immediately recover from defaulting private aircraft owners the required statutory import duties on their imported aircraft”.

The above is a pointer that our airport hangers will be out of space at the rate these “wealth Nigerians” are out-competing themselves buying expensive Jets to avoid road travel.

Since the unsuccessful terrorist attacks with IED on Abuja-Kaduna rail tracks, many travellers have opted for alternative means of transportation with the hope of dousing the associated trauma and tension in the event another attempt surfaces.

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Eons intelligence gathered two separate intelligence reports regarding the October 21 railway attack were made available two days prior to the incident, which could have averted the mayhem if security operatives had acted promptly on available information. Hence, there is no elimination of the possibility of a reoccurrence of future similar attacks given antecedent of prior intelligence reports.

The plight of travellers on Nigerian roads has become more worrisome as several roads, such as the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, become notorious as an endless traumatic journey of nightmare and possible massacre.

In November alone, to put in perspective a mirror image of the horror the roads have degenerated into using just a segment, we have records of bandits abducting 20 commuters on the Giwa –Zaria expressway; killing of former Zamfara governorship candidate on the Abuja-Kaduna highway, while gunmen complemented the task by abducting commuters along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

To succinctly capture the heightened threat posed on road trips as a “journey of possible no return”, the Osun Mobile Police Force have vehemently warned its personnel against accompanying as escort any air-bound VIP by road, otherwise severe disciplinary actions will be meted against any erring officer. This discourages any security personnel from attempting the “possibility of suicide” by travelling as an escort through the road of trauma and possible kidnap or ultimate death, while the VIP is air bound.

Recall that in its October 24 – 29 weekly security dashboard, Eons Intelligence has raised the alarm that the roads are gradually degenerating into “death by the whiskers”.

As the yuletide season remarkable as a period of traversing back and forth approaches, the question becomes rife “who is plying the Nigerian roads”? 

Alternatively, what is the government doing to make movements in and around Nigeria worthwhile again?

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