By Mudiaga Affe
Several commuters were yesterday stranded in the Ehor axis of the ever-busy Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi highway in Uhunmwonde local government area of Edo State following protests by angry youths over activities of kidnappers by suspected criminal herdsmen which on Monday resulted in the death of a Master’s of Science degree graduate of Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma, Miss Ella Williams.

The angry youths blocked the axis of the Benin-Auchi-Okenne highway over the repeated attacks on motorists.

Williams was said to be travelling from Benin, her base, to Ekpoma to pick up her Call-up letter, preparatory to the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, programme, when the killer herdsmen opened fire on the vehicle she was travelling in, killing her on the spot while other passengers were abducted.

Many of the travellers had to go through Agbor road in Delta State from Benin City because of the blockade.

A resident in the village, Francis Okhomina said five persons were shot in the area on Monday by suspected kidnappers and that two of them died while three were injured.

He said, “Everywhere is blocked, there is no way to pass here since 6 am. These Fulani men have been kidnapping people and taking them into the bush. Our people have become scared. Two days ago, they shot five people there, two died and three survived and they are in the hospital so our people became angry and they took over the road, the road users have to go and pass through Ughoneki going to Auchi.

“The police have tried, the vigilantes have been trying but it is like these people have better arms so they cannot do as much as we expect so the youths are angry that is why they have taken over the road.”

However, announcing Williams’s death on his Facebook wall on Monday, a user, Andrew Egbuonu, wrote, “I received the devastating news of the demise of a young lady and a promising future of the Nigerian nation, Miss Ella Williams, in the hands of bloodthirsty and heartless herdsmen on the Benin-Ekpoma Road in Edo State.

“Miss Williams who has just graduated with a Master’s of Science in Architecture from Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma was said to have travelled from her Benin base to pick up her call-up. She never made it back as her vehicle was attacked by murderous marauders who ambushed vehicles by opening fire on them with their small arms (aka AK47 Assault guns) killing her on the spot. What a country where human lives have no value, especially to these emotion-less invaders.

“All over Nigeria, criminals and kidnappers plan and find ways of stopping vehicle before kidnappings their victims. This appears to be too much work for these roaming marauders who prefer to use their bullets indiscriminately to stop vehicles on highways, killing the drivers and any other unfortunate passengers, before kidnapping the leftover survivors and herding them into our vast ungoverned bushes and forests,” he lamented.

He said this modus operandi has been used repeatedly with almost no consequence for these criminals is unacceptable.

“The Nigerian Government under the watch of our President cannot continue to claim helplessness and reign as Nigeria’s best are wasted all over Nigeria. Miss Williams is gone, lost to a nation in need of her brightest and best. Her parents are heartbroken; her friends and colleagues in deep shock; her killers are out there still demanding and waiting to collect ransom from the surviving passengers from last week’s murderous and senseless kidnapping; and the Nigerian State moves on as it is business as usual to our rulers,” Egbuonu further mourned.

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The Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi-Okene Road has become a haven for suspected herdsmen and kidnappers, who daily operate by firing shots at vehicles to stop the drivers and the passengers kidnapped for ransom. In the process, quite some passengers have been killed while many others have been injured.

As of the time of filing this report, the police are yet to make an official reaction as repeated calls to the line of the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Kontongs Bello, had yet to pick several calls on his phone.

The Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi road has become a haven for suspected herdsmen and kidnappers, who daily operate by firing shots at vehicles to stop the drivers stop and the passengers kidnapped for ransom. In the process, quite a several passengers have been killed while many others have been injured