Trekker goes missing, 3 others stranded in Yola for Atiku

Just after the 2015 elections, a new fad hit Nigerian youths; trekking for politicians.

It all started when one Suleiman Hashimu promised to trek from Lagos to Abuja if the then APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari wins the presidential election.

He did start his journey when Buhari won the election, and on arrival at Abuja, got a presidential handshake from Buhari, and other undisclosed rewards.

After that, all sorts of trekkers emerged, for every prominent politician they could think of who would reward their efforts; from Lagos to Abuja to Bayelsa to Bauchi. One even trekked from Abeokuta to Lagos in support of APC national leader, Bola Tinubu.

Now, three men, who trekked to Yola in honour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, are now stranded in Yola.

The men, Salihu Jibrin, Aliyu Adamu and Abubakar Suleiman, who spoke to newsmen on Saturday in Yola, said since their arrival, they have been unable to see their mentor, Atiku.

They said all they needed was to see Atiku or his representatives to deliver their messages and go back to their various destinations.

“I trekked for 38 days all the way from Lagos to Yola to see Atiku in view of his role over APC’s victory in the general election but up till now I have been unable to see him.

“I am now stranded with no money to go back; at times I sleep in motor parks or squat with good Samaritans,” Jibrin said.

Adamu, who rode on a bicycle from Kaduna to Yola, said he spent eight days on the way.

On his part, Suleiman, who trekked from Shelleng town, Adamawa, to Yola said he had been squatting from one relation to the other while waiting for an opportunity to see Atiku before going back home.

Also, a man, Nuruddeen Maimako, who reportedly left Bauchi on foot to Abuja, to witness the Friday May 29, 2015 swearing-in of President Muhammadu Buhari, was on Thursday June 11, 2015 declared missing in Bauchi by the Bauchi State Police Command.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Haruna Mohammed, said in a statement that Maimako, who resided at Dass in Bauchi State, left his town on May 15 to Abuja, but has not been seen since then.

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