Bandits reign, businesses grounded as govt abandons 170km Katsina highway

Correspondent Faith Maji writes on the abandoned 170km Marabar Kankara-Katsina road, which has led to a decline in economic activities and a rise in banditry in towns on the axis of the highway

Earlier this year, road users and residents of Katsina State celebrated the commencement of the reconstruction of the 170km Marabar Kankara-Katsina road, which had become dilapidated 30 years after it was constructed.

However, just when the contractor had moved to site and commenced the scraping of the road to begin its reconstruction, the project was stopped abruptly without any explanation on why it was stopped.

On October 6, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Political Matters, Ibrahim Kabir Masari, disclosed that the road project was stopped by the Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Radda.
Masari stated that “contract for the reconstruction of the road from Marabar Kankara, Kankara, Yantumaki, Dutsinma, Kurfi to Katsina was awarded but it was awarded to the wrong person.

“Therefore, the Katsina State Governor met Mr. President and asked him to revoke the contract and re-award it to another contractor that will do a better job.”

Following Masari’s comments, Governor Radda reportedly came under scathing criticisms from commuters that ply the road, residents of the communities along the 170km road, and Civil Society Organisations.
Our correspondent learnt that the incessant hike in fuel prices has taken its toll on businesses along the highway, while bandits have a field day.

A commercial vehicle driver, Haruna Abdu, lamented that despite the high cost of fuel, drivers had to go round through longer routes when traveling to Katsina.

“For drivers coming from Funtua or Zaria, the road through Kankara is the shortest route to Katsina, but the road construction project has been halted midway. Now, we have to go round through Musawa or through Gidan Mutum Daya when going to Katsina.

“With the high cost of fuel, both commercial and private car owners go through a lot of trouble and spend too much money on fuel to get to Katsina,” Abdu said.

For residents of villages along the Marabar Kankara-Katsina road, the stoppage of the road project has worsened insecurity in the area.

In July, the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the initiation of the road construction project in the state.

The Emir stated this when he received a team consisting of the road contractor and the construction firm, Vipan Global Resources.
When completed, the  road is expected to improve security, enhance economic activities, and improve transportation in the region.

“Roads are vital infrastructure that serves as catalysts of development. I am sure if completed, this road will help reduce the problem of insecurity in the area, which is our major concern in the state,” the monarch has said.

Same month, residents of Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State blocked the Marabar-Kankara to Katsina and Kano roads, as well as the road linking Malumfashi to Funtua and Kaduna State.

Same month, residents of Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State blocked the Marabar-Kankara to Katsina and Kano roads, as well as the road linking Malumfashi to Funtua and Kaduna State while protesting against bandits’ operations in some communities in the area.

The protesters called on the government to intensify efforts to protect their lives and property.
One of the residents, Muhammad Sabiu, said they wanted the government to hastily tackle the problem.

“Right now, there are corpses of people killed by the bandits in the bush, and they have prevented us from evacuating them. That is what is happening day and night in our communities.
“We are calling on the government and the authorities concerned to hasten intensifying measures to curtail the problem. They have even prevented some of us from farming, so life in those places has become extremely difficult,” he said.

Dan-Gambo Faruku, a resident of Burdugau, also narrated how kidnapping and armed banditry had worsened due to the cancellation of the road project.

“As you can see, this road has been scraped as reconstruction had commenced, but from the time the project was stopped till now, too many people have been abducted and too many villages have been raided or attacked by bandits.

“More than fifty villages have been attacked between Burdugau, Yargoje, Kuka-sheka, Danmarke and Kankara and because the road has been closed, security agencies cannot come to our aid during these attacks.

“Similarly, because vehicles have stopped plying the road, the area is too quiet; this is why bandits attack us at any time of the day.”

DG Media to the Katsina State Governor, Maiwada Danmallam, while reacting to why the Governor revoked the contract, as captured in Masari’s speech, stated, “I thought your question is why Gov. Radda revoked the road. This audio didn’t say how Radda revoked the road. Complaining to the Federal Government about the sluggish execution of the contract isn’t the same as revoking the contract. What the Federal Government does with complaints like this from states is entirely its affairs. I still insist you direct your question to the appropriate quarters mentioned earlier.”

During a visit by our correspondent to the popular National Association of Transport Organisations park in Katsina, the state capital, a motorist, Usman Sani lamented the situation, saying prior to know, he plied the road thrice a week either to Abuja or Zaria.
“Now passengers are no longer traveling as they used to be, if a driver travels just once a week, luck is on his side. Because of the hike, we have to increase the fare because the fuel price has gone high and of course, we have to add. Middle of last month, the fare from Katsina to Zaria was N5,500 but now, we increased the fare to N7,000 due to a hike in fuel pump,” Sani said.

“And I used to follow Kankara when workers were on the site working on the road but since they left, I have not tried it for fear of being kidnapped by these bad people. If you mistakenly follow the route, only God will rescue you. At times, they will kidnap the driver and leave the passengers stranded while at some times, they go for the passengers. Who would want to die in this miscreant’s hands?

“Now, the only alternative route is the long one Malnumshi-Kafuur to Kankia and in some spots they used to attack people around Gidan Mutunmadaya. As it stands and as the road construction has stopped, I have no opinion than to follow the long road if I want to be safe.

“Let me conclude by saying that the deplorable condition of the road, which I know contributed to the insecurity around the area, especially Marabar Kankara, has affected our business. I can’t authentically tell you numbers of attacks on the road as we speak but many people died due to the activities of bandits.”

Also, a commuter, who is conversant with the road, Aminu Bako, told our correspondent in Katsina that, since the increase on fuel pump prices, he minimised his frequent journeys to Zaria.

“My family is in Zaria, which made me frequent home but between July and August, when transport fare increased from N4,500 to N6,000 plus the bandits attacks, especially on Marabar Kankara axis, my wife advised that I reduced my coming home,” Bako stated.

“It got to the time that I thought of quitting my job for my safety. I almost got kidnapped that time, when the state transport service bus was attacked. I will not forget the incident. I advised myself, together with my family, to be home once a month, unlike the previous visits every weekend.
“I don’t want to know the reasons for the stoppage but it was not a good idea to stop the construction. I’m not happy.”

Effort to reach the Katsina State Government on the alleged order for the stoppage of the road construction proved abortive as the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammad, was yet to respond to messages even though he promised to reach out having heard what the President’s aide, Masari, said during an event in Katsina that the “Governor himself ordered for the stoppage.”