December 11, 2021

Commuters plying the Lagos-Benin-Onitsha expressway are raining curses on the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, and the entire police hierarchy as policemen openly collect bribe from motorists on the busy highway.

Our reporter who drove through that highway last week described the experience as ‘highway of frustration and bribery’ as he counted no fewer than 70 checkpoints of extortion between Ogun and Delta state.

“We saw policemen openly negotiate bribe with motorists. We saw checkpoints at every 200 meters and you are expected to offer bribe irrespective of whether your papers are complete or not. For the sake of a motorist who refused to offer bribe, the policemen would lockdown traffic until money changes hand. So, for a journey of five hours from Lagos to Delta, you are made to do it in eight hours. It’s an open show of shame, many commuters cursed IGP Usman Alkali for allowing his men to prey on Nigerians and their pockets rather than protect them,” he said.

Recall that in 2015, the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, ordered the removal of police checkpoints on the highways, according to him, to reduce bribery and corruption.

Mr Arase said that such roadblocks encouraged corruption among some of his officers who collect bribes from commuters on the highway.

The IGP said that such act only reduced officers of the Police Force to mere beggars and had also brought the image of the force to disrepute in the past.

Nigerians then commended Arase for his boldness and honesty and true to expectation, traffic eased as the police resorted to highway patrol to check criminalities as against mounting roadblocks to collect bribe.

In April 2017, IGP Ibrahim Idris also ordered a dismantling of highway roadblocks as it became a breeding ground for extortion.

Also in early December this year, the House of Representatives called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali, to dismantle all illegal and unnecessary checkpoints in the country.

The resolution was a sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by Ifeanyi Momah on the need to investigate the death of 20 persons along the Owerri-Onitsha road in the Ihala area of Anambra State who died when a trailer laden with goods rammed into vehicles at the checkpoint, killing the 20 persons.

Commuters who spoke to Political Economist urged IGP Usman Alkali to outlaw highway roadblocks but encourage highway patrols which would ensure that robbery and kidnapping are kept at bay.

Curiously, our reporter encountered officers of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS) who also mounted roadblock on the Lagos-Benin road and were seen openly demanding and collection bribe.

A commuter, Mr Ozioma Nworah, who said he was heading to Awka in Anambra from Lagos challenged the top police hierarchy to drive through the highway in mufti and in unmarked cars so they can fully appreciate what Nigerians are going through in the hands of the police.

Another motorist said he was parked for hours over ‘tinted glass’ permit even after showing them the permit issued at the Ikeja Police Command bearing police stamp and signature.

“They said the permit I was issued was temporary permit, that I should produce a permanent copy of ‘Permit’. I told them the police said the permanent copy was not ready, that what I was given was enough as all my details and my car details had been captured in their system. All my explanation fell on deaf ears. They insisted I pay N20,000 in place of a possible fine of N50,000. It was at this point that I flared up and other commuters joined in berating them before they let me go after over 45 minutes. Not many people were bold to challenge them as they simply paid bribe to continue with their journey,” he said.