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…Pays over N5m to secure release of kidnapped drivers
Tayo AFOLABI
Chairman, Kundenda industrial area, Kaduna unit of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Comrade Gabriel Abah, has advised member drivers to always monitor the highways as they drive to their respective destination.
Abah expressed the need for them to look far ahead of them as they drive along the highways to ensure no unusual happening ahead of them.
He lamented that the union had paid over N5 million as ransom to secure the release of their drivers.
Speaking in Kaduna, Comrade Abah said the union was doing its best to enhance the welfare of its members but called on the authorities to provide adequate security on our roads.
He expressed worry over the activities of bandits who have kidnapped their members in recent times.
Abah said, “based on our standard as union of heavy trucks, we are going to try our possible best to put things in order, most especially to ensure conducive environment for our drivers who are facing so many problems like bad roads, robbery, kidnapping, so on and so forth on the highways.”
“So I am going to ensure under my administration to see that I put things in good conditions for our members. And I want to advise my members and followers to always abide by the laws of the land to enable us achieve our aims and objectives”.
“Regrettably, as I speak with you we were able to regain the freedom of seven of our members who were kidnapped sometimes ago on the highways. They were kidnapped along Katsina, Zamfara, Abuja and Birnin Gwari highways. But we give glory to God that none of them was killed by the kidnappers.”
“To secure their freedom, we paid ransom; the first one was N1.5 million, another one was N1.2 million and the highest was N3 million.”
“We have advised our drivers to always monitor the highways as they drive to their respective destination. They need to look far ahead of them as they drive along the highways to ensure no unusual happening ahead of them.”
“Where they see that the road is too lonely, no oncoming vehicles, they should park and observe the situation before continuing with the journey or return to base.”
Speaking on fraudulent drivers diverting goods for personal gains, the Chairman in charge of Kundenda industrial area promised to punish any driver found engaging in such criminal act in accordance with the laws of the union.
He said “however, I will carry everybody along irrespective of ethno-religious difference in order to ensure the success of our great union. NURTW is one united family, its activities is not about religion, it is not about politics, it is not about tribal grouping. It is about all of us who road transport workers in Nigeria.”
“We will work hand in hand with the law enforcement agencies to ensure the security of our members, both at the State and inter State movement of our drivers, he said.
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