Highway of Fear: Travellers Stranded Nightly as Banditry Forces Dusk-to-Dawn Shutdown on Zamfara Road
TEC News | Funtua | 11th March, 2026.
Thousands of Nigerians traveling through parts of the North-West are increasingly facing a silent but painful reality — the inability to move freely on major highways due to persistent insecurity.
Along the Zamfara corridor, a once-busy route linking several northern states, night travel has effectively become impossible. Security restrictions and the constant threat of bandit attacks have forced authorities to close portions of the road from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., leaving motorists and passengers stranded for hours by the roadside.
Travellers coming from the Kaduna and Zaria axis heading towards Zamfara and Sokoto are often forced to stop at Funtua in Katsina State once evening approaches. From that moment, the highway gradually turns into a temporary settlement of stranded vehicles and anxious passengers waiting for daylight.
As early as 6 p.m., buses, private cars, and commercial vehicles begin lining the road, with passengers preparing to spend the night in conditions many describe as humiliating and unsafe.
Families eat whatever food they can find. Some lie on bare ground beside parked vehicles. Others remain awake throughout the night, fearing possible attacks.
“I never imagined I would be sleeping by the roadside with my children,” one passenger told TEC News. “We have no choice. If you move at night, you risk running into bandits.”
The situation has also created an informal night economy. Hawkers move through the stranded crowds selling assorted snacks, drinks, and basic food items to travellers who cannot access proper meals. While these traders provide some relief, many passengers say it does little to ease the discomfort and uncertainty of spending the night outdoors.
For many families, the experience is deeply distressing. Fathers who once traveled confidently across the country now find themselves helplessly guarding their families through the night. Mothers worry about the safety of their children, while young ones sleep on cold floors without understanding why their journey suddenly turned into an ordeal.
Residents and frequent travelers say the highway was once a lifeline connecting communities and commercial centers across northern Nigeria.
“In the past, vehicles travelled through these roads all night without fear,” another traveller recalled. “People drove freely to Sokoto and other states. Today the same road feels like a den of lions.”
Beyond the inconvenience, the road has become notorious for criminal activities including kidnappings, attacks on travellers, and the destruction of nearby villages. Several communities along the corridor have reportedly been deserted after repeated bandit assaults.
Security analysts say the situation reflects the broader challenge of rural insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria, where armed groups continue to exploit difficult terrain and limited security presence.
For many stranded passengers, however, the conversation each night remains the same: When will this end?
As darkness falls and vehicles line the roadside waiting for morning, travellers say their fate rests largely in hope and prayer that the night will pass without incident.
Citizens are now calling on the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to reclaim the highways and restore confidence in road travel across the region.
Until then, for many Nigerians, a simple journey across states has become an overnight test of endurance while many wonders if the government both state and federal seems powerless or a simple compromise.
TEC News will continue to monitor developments surrounding highway security and the impact of banditry on civilian mobility in northern Nigeria.
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