Residents advised travellers to stop plying the highway until it is secured.
Armed persons on Tuesday blocked Birnin Gwari Highway in Kaduna State, abducting many travellers and burning at least eight vehicles, a group of residents of the area said.
The gunmen reportedly blocked the highway, intercepted a convoy of motorists between Kuriga and Manini near Udawa and kidnapped an unspecified number of people.
Ibrahim Nagwari, the chairman of Birnin Gwari Vanguard for Security and Good Governance, a vigilante group, said the gunmen had been been active in the area in the last few days.
"In the last four days, terrorists had lay siege on motorists on Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna highway, abducting as well as killing and wounded many innocent citizens," he said.
He said despite being active in the area, residents failed to report their presence. He also blamed the Nigerian authorities for not doing enough to tackle insecurity in the area.
"In the sad event today, eight vehicles were set ablaze by the terrorists, while unaccounted number of innocent motorists mostly women and children were waylaid into the bush by the terrorists for ransom.
"It is evidently, clear, that, unholy marriage of bandits and Ansaru ( Boko Haram) has declared a total war on our people, yet the political will by the authorities to honour their oaths of office to protect Lives and Property of our citizens remains a mirage.
"While politicians are engaged on their mission to clinch power comes Twenty-twenty-three, none of the gladiators seeking for elections has any agenda of emancipating our people from the bondage of terrorists and miscreants. Moreso, none of this politicians deem it fit to visit Birnin-Gwari to either see delegates, but rather called delegates to Kaduna for consultations.
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"We had always appreciate efforts of security personnel in their passion to curtailed the precarious Insecurity bedeviling Birnin-Gwari general area. But, our people has reach a point of no return, hence the need for the people of Birnin-Gwari and communities along the Kaduna-Birnin-Gwari highway to halt with immediate effect traveling on this notorious highway from tomorrow till security situation improves.
"This organization hereby advise all our citizens to exercise maximum restraint and obey all rules of the land and seclude themselves in prayers for Allah intervention to deal with the terrorists and their collaborators within our communities. Equally, we pray for safe return of our people mostly women and Children that were abducted.
"We are citizens of this country and not prodigal sons that were left wandering, like " Sheep's without Shepherd."
The state's Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, did not return phone calls from our reporter seeking comment on the incidents.
When reached for comments, the Kaduna police spokesperson promised to released a statement later.
