Nigeria, March 28 -- The bad state of Obollo-Oturkpo road on Enugu-Benue borders makes passengers traveling from Eastern parts of the country to the North apply Enugu-Kogi route, which today records steady kidnap cases. Ben Aroh examines the economic importance of the road in this report.

Samson Ejikeme, a commercial driver, was in December 2023 kidnapped along Enugu-Kogi border town of Umuopu in Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State. He was kidnapped alongside fourteen passengers in his bus.

Ejikeme, 37, said they were held hostage for four days without food, except gari prepared with dirty water sourced from an unkempt stream. In his words, "They were giving us dirty water sourced from a stream that cattle drank from. Tho...