Enugu-Abakaliki highway robbery fears rise after attackers reportedly killed a driver and robbed passengers along the busy route

Fresh concerns have emerged over rising insecurity along the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway following a reported deadly robbery attack that allegedly claimed the life of a commercial driver and left passengers dispossessed of their valuables.

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The attack, which reportedly occurred at night along the busy interstate highway, has triggered renewed security measures, including the return of multiple police checkpoints mounted between 6pm and 7am.

Passengers and motorists said the attackers intercepted a vehicle travelling along the route, robbed occupants and allegedly killed the driver before fleeing the scene.

The development has heightened fears among road users and residents of communities along the expressway, which serves as a major economic corridor linking traders and transporters across Enugu, Ebonyi and Cross River states.

Several motorists, however, accused some security operatives stationed on the highway of focusing more on extortion than tackling the growing wave of attacks.

Commercial drivers who spoke with our correspondent described the situation as alarming, noting that the road had remained relatively calm in recent years after many checkpoints were dismantled following the #EndSARS protests.

One commercial driver, who identified himself simply as Nwaneri, linked the resurgence of Enugu-Abakaliki highway robbery to worsening economic hardship and rising desperation among criminal elements.

“I can tell you for sure that hunger and economic deprivation in Enugu State are contributing to the return of highway robbery,” Nwaneri said.

“Since kidnapping is no longer as profitable as before, many criminals have returned to highway robbery. They mostly operate between 7pm and 6am and target vehicles carrying goods.”

Nwaneri further alleged that the robbers often trail commercial vehicles transporting goods from Onitsha to Cross River and neighbouring states before launching attacks at vulnerable points along the highway.

Some commuters also claimed that criminals occasionally exploit confusion around checkpoints to target unsuspecting travellers, especially during heavy traffic or late-night movements.

Residents living near the expressway warned that the worsening security situation could disrupt commercial activities and affect the smooth movement of goods between the South-East and South-South regions.

Road users called on security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering, patrol operations and surveillance along the highway to restore public confidence and guarantee safer travel.

Efforts to obtain official comments from the Enugu State Police Command were unsuccessful as the command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, neither answered calls nor responded to a text message sent to seek his reaction as of the time of filing this report.

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Highway robbery and kidnapping have remained persistent security concerns across several major roads in the South-East, despite repeated assurances from security agencies and renewed calls for stronger protection of interstate routes.