Over 16 persons have lost their lives in separate accidents involving vehicles and stray camels on some major roads across Jigawa State.
This was confirmed by State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr Angus Ibezim, while commenting over the influx of stray camels from foreign countries.
He explained that the command is disturbed on how owners of the camels are allowing the camels move freely on major roads posing danger to the lives and property of travelers.
Ibezim however expressed the Command’s committment in providing lasting solution to the menace, including advocacy and awareness campaigns in collaboration with the state command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in identifying owners of the camels to sensitize them on the dangers on leaving their camels freely to cross major roads without control.
He added that the advocacy and awareness campaigns will also engage traditional rulers and religious leaders as well as motor parks, warning motorists to be on alert while driving along the identified corridors across the state.
DAILY POST observed that most of the camels’ owners are foreign nomads from Mali, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso who move with hundreds of camels as seasonal guests to Nigeria to source for food for their animals and means of doing business where they sell camel’s milk and urine which serves as traditional medicine.
It was also observed that the camels move freely without anybody controlling them, causing a lot of accidents and discomfort to road users around the area.
Findings by DAILY POST revealed that among those who lost their lives to the stray camels include All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader, Hajiya Aisha Tahir and four others when her vehicle hit a camel crossing the Jahun-Kiyawa highway.
Also one Dr Nasiru Maigatari, a former permanent secretary, Jigawa state also met his untimely death along Maigatari axis when he hit the camels crossing the road.
Two other people have also died recently along Sankara road on their way from Beguwa market where the driver of the commercial car hit the camels and two passengers died instantly.
A source from the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, who spoke to DAILY POST, said the nomads were coming from neighbouring countries every year.
He explained that the nomads entered the country illegally and that the service is trying its best to control their influx in to the country.
Speaking to DAILY POST, one of the victims, who narrowly escaped death, Malam Murtala narrated how the animals are posing serious threat to the road users.
He explained that apart from the destruction of lives and property, the animals also destroy stored farm produce and fruit trees that serve as source of livelihood to owners of farms.
Another traveller, Nura Tijjani Ringim said the menace keeps on happening because no single nomad was charged to court for violating road regulations and no action was taken on anybody for the accident they are causing resulting to the lost of lives and property.
He explained that the nomads were just trooping into Nigeria without following the country’s rules and regulations.
“No Nigerian will go unpunished for committing such offence in their country,” he noted, advising the government to provide laws that will prosecute whoever violated the country’s regulations or deport them to their various countries.
They also urged traditional leaders, government and security agencies to collaborate and come up with laws that will provide lasting solutions to the problem so that the presence of the foreigners and their camels does not cause any harm to the citizens.
Comments