FOR RESIDENTS of Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), trekking to waterfalls, hiking footpaths in the countryside and climbing mountains on a Saturday for pleasure has become a source of worry because of the activities of bandits, terrorists and other criminals who have the city unsafe. Sinafi Omanga of The ICIR reports.


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At the peak of a mountain around Katampe District of the FCT, 35-year-old hiker, Kamji Jan sat on the plain, rocky ground in the company of two friends. They smiled as they chatted and sipped from bottles of energy drinks.

Jan and his friends were joined by other hikers at the mountaintop. They soon started to sing, dance, and take photos on the rocky plane.

They are members of Naija Adventurers, a hiking club in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

As often as their schedules permit, members of this group leave the noisy metropolis to the quietude of the countryside, especially the mountain tops to take in the beauty of nature or keep fit as they brave the odds to get to the top of the mountain.

“It feels great to be up here, away from the city noise. I’m catching fun with friends and burning calories by climbing to the mountaintop,” Jan said.

For several months, Jan and other hikers could not engage in this weekend hobby for fear of being abducted or killed by gunmen in the FCT. They only resumed this Saturday.

“I stopped hiking for a long while. I stayed back to be sure that the security situation improved.

“Insecurity is a thing of concern for all of us especially the hikers because we can’t hike in the city. We hike in places like this and some of the bandits hide in rocky areas such as this”, Jan said.

Like most parts of the country, Abuja has witnessed an increase in terrorist activity and kidnapping cases by armed gangs. The upsurge in security breakdown has triggered trepidation among residents.

To understand how insecurity affects recreational hiking in Abuja, this reporter joined hikers on their trip through mountains and forests for two months.

Hiking trails turned bandits’ routes

In an earlier report published by The ICIR entitled “The untold stories of victims kidnapped by Nigeria’s gunmen’’, an Abuja resident, simply identified as Uzoma narrated how he was kidnapped and made to trek many hilly in the remote part of Abuja.

The hilly remote areas that were hitherto the preferred destinations of Abuja hikers became the main attractions for Kidnappers. In such circumstances, the hikers had to give way to the armed kidnappers.

Uzoma spent days moving from one remote location to another with the help of the abductors’ aide called “Smallie”.

“I am not sure that boy is up to 20, he wasn’t carrying a gun. I think he is a younger brother to the leader,” Uzoma told The ICIR.

Many victims of abduction in Nigeria share similar stories of being hidden away and tortured for days or weeks in remote areas by the bandits.

For instance, the Prelate of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, Samuel Uche-Kalu who was abducted alongside two other clerics said they were forced to trek long distances in the bush.

They were abducted while en route Enugu-P/Harcourt Express Road. The gunmen released them after a ransom of N100 million was paid.

While recounting his ordeal in the hands of the abductors, Uche-Kalu said the leader of the gang identified himself as “The commander-general of the forest”.

Membership of hiking clubs in the FCT declines

Amina Maza and Lovina Abah are colleagues. They are friends too. While trekking through the forested hills, Amina, a first-time hiker began to worry about her safety.

She asked Lovina if the trail was safe. Amina recalled the harrowing experience of her cousin who was kidnapped by bandits in Kaduna.

“This place just reminds me of my cousin,” she said.

But in response, Lovina teased her instead.

Speaking with The ICIR, Lovina, a married woman said she too sneaked out in the morning to hike because her husband would not let her for fear of insecurity.

“I have missed hiking so much and I also wanted to introduce Amina to it, that’s why I sneaked. My husband would not allow it if he knew where I was going,” she said.

Some members of the Naija Adventurers club told this reporter how their family members and friends talked them out of hiking due to fear of insecurity.

The tour guide of Naija Adventurer, Mudiaga Osagu said many members of his club have actually stopped hiking.

“We used to have between 300 to 400 members for a hike on a Saturday like this but it’s been challenging to get them out recently because of fear of insecurity”.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/terrorism-threatens-hiking-mountain-climbing-in-abuja/

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Bubus children and Politicians have made nigeria unconducive and toxic ft Every one.na them dey sponsor financial terrorism,domestic terrorism,banditry etc.

People cannot even travel or exercise in peace again