Drivers Block Mokwa Roads To Protest Against Insecurity

Commercial Drivers yesterday blocked all entrances and exits from Mokwa, protesting against the spate of abductions by bandits along the Mokwa-Kainji road.

The drivers had threatened to block the road since Friday, but the Police Division in the area held a meeting with them to shelve the idea, but they reneged and protested yesterday.

The Drivers interviewed by LEADERSHIP said they were protesting the incessant abduction of their members and passengers along the Mokwa- Kainji road recently.

A Driver Audu Mohammed said in a telephone interview that they were protesting the abduction and killing of their members, saying “just a few days ago, a member was killed by bandits along Ibbi in Mashegu local government area on the same road that is the one that sparks the present protest”

Also speaking, another commercial driver, Ahmed Mokwa, said they were protesting to draw the attention of the government and security agencies to the several abductions and killings along the major roads in the Mokwa axis.

He said they felt neglected because “there is not enough security coverage to mitigate the situation, hardly will a week pass that there will be no abduction along the road”.

Residents of the commercial town of Mokwa, while supporting the drivers’ call for urgent steps to ensure security along the roads, said the blockage of the roads and the protest had affected commercial activities.

“As I am talking to you now, we cannot go out everywhere is closed, we are trapped here, I suppose to be in Kutigi now, but I cannot go out”, Abdulkadir Idris, a resident, told LEADERSHIP via the phone.

Another resident, Salisu Kabir, said, “We are confused, the rumour started from Friday, but today the drivers closed everywhere, so we cannot go anywhere now, the government should act immediately”.

While the chairman of Mokwa local government council, Jibrin Muregi, did not respond to LEADERSHIP call, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident to LEADERSHIP.

“On 9 August 2026 at about 10 am, a report received from Mokwa Div indicated that Transport Unions, in protest against security challenges along Kainji-Mokwa road, mobilised themselves, blocked Mokwa-Jebba road and Mokwa-Kainji road, causing gridlock on the highway”, he said.

According to the PPRO, “the Police DPO in Mokwa and other stakeholders in the area immediately commenced engagement and dialogue with the leadership of these transport Unions towards ensuring that the road is opened for road users, and there were assurances by the Union members that the road will be reopened immediately for motorists”

He said, “the Police, military and vigilante members were working closely with a series of joint clearance operations in the affected areas to address the security challenges, stating the situation will soon become a thing of the past.”