NURTW chairman Francis Arhiyor links rising robbery and kidnapping to bad roads, urges Federal Government to fix failed highways nationwide

The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Francis Arhiyor, has blamed Nigeria’s growing cases of robbery and kidnapping on the country’s poor road network.

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Arhiyor said criminals take advantage of failed portions of major highways to ambush travellers, making road journeys unsafe across many regions.

“The truth is that if the roads are good, the case of armed robbery and kidnapping will be reduced because these hoodlums have been taking undue advantage of the bad spots to strike and perpetrate their heinous crimes,” he said.

The NURTW chairman, who spoke on Wednesday, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently repair dilapidated sections of the East–West highway in the Niger Delta region, describing the situation as “a matter of topmost priority.”

He, however, commended Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for flagging off the reconstruction of the Warri–Sapele–Benin Road, saying the intervention has brought hope to motorists and commuters.

“If the roads are good and the driver is on motion, nobody can jump into the front of your vehicle to attack,” Arhiyor noted, adding that the reconstruction will bring “big relief” to road users.

“Our members are the major beneficiaries of this project. For years, our drivers have been having harrowing experiences on the failed roads. Many vehicles have broken down beyond repair, and maintenance costs have been unbearable,” he said.

Arhiyor also urged the Federal Government to prioritise the rehabilitation of other key routes, including the Benin Bypass en route Lagos, the Benin–Akwa Ibom corridor, and the Warri–Port Harcourt section of the highway.

Meanwhile, Governor Oborevwori, during the flag-off of the Warri–Sapele–Benin Road project, said the initiative underscored the importance of synergy between state and federal authorities in driving development.

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“Although this road is a federal route, the users are Deltans and Nigerians, and their safety and comfort are what matter most to us,” the governor said, describing the road as “a critical national infrastructure connecting major cities across the South-South.”