The numerous checkpoints mounted by safety officers are sources of frustration and delay
The Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Damian Okeke-Ogene not too long ago expressed dismay over roadblocks and extortions throughout roads within the Southeast. “Right this moment, the roadblocks have elevated, even to residential areas, and no person is speaking. The extent of extortions at these roadblocks is sufficient to construct a 3rd Niger Bridge,” stated Okeke-Ogene who lamented that varied items of regulation enforcement businesses had continued to mount roadblocks throughout the area, notably for extorting the motoring public, fairly than for safety causes. Sadly, Okeke-Ogene is expressing a preferred opinion on an previous concern. Roadblocks and checkpoints mounted by safety officers on Lagos-Benin-Onitsha Highway and past will not be solely sources of agony however are additionally making the journey to states within the Southeast geopolitical zone unattractive.
Whereas acknowledging that trendy safety is all about info gathering, digital monitoring and preventive mechanisms, the Inspector-Basic of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has reiterated that the NPF can not afford to cast off checkpoints. “They’re vibrant elements of visibility policing,” he stated, “which is essential to efficient policing of our up to date society.” However this can’t be a justification for what is going on on a lot of our roads. Other than the menace of unhealthy roads, the quite a few checkpoints have turn out to be sources of hardship, nuisance, trauma and lack of useful time as a journey of 10 hours can final for 2 days.
It’s noteworthy {that a} former Chairman of Nigerian Bar Affiliation, Part on Public Curiosity and Improvement Regulation (NBA-SPIDEL), Monday Ubani as soon as dragged the Legal professional-Basic of the Federation, Inspector-Basic of Police, Comptroller Basic of Customs, Chief of Defence Workers, Corp Marshal of the Federal Highway Security Corp (FRSC) earlier than the court docket on this identical vexatious concern. He sought a declaration that the proliferation of intra-state roads and highways with roadblocks mounted by their officers notably enroute Lagos to the South-east is a violation of his proper to free and undisrupted motion as assured by part 41 of the 1999 Structure. The Federal Excessive Courtroom in Lagos dismissed the case earlier within the 12 months, arguing that the safety businesses had been empowered by enabling legal guidelines to take action as a part of their obligations to safe the nation and examine crime.
Though the court docket failed to deal with the problem raised by Ubani on why the measures stated to be for securing the nation are heavy inside one area and minimal on different routes, he has a legitimate level as issues mount over this concern of checkpoints, minimal or pervasive. Apart from the someday suffocating roadblocks mounted by the police, troopers, males of the FRSC, and even by overzealous touts, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has turn out to be a further burden to motorists, resulting in frustration and pointless delays. They seize automobiles, and so-called contraband items and within the course of extort cash from their unfortunate victims. At some checkpoints, motorists with automobiles as previous as 10 years or extra, are intimidated and compelled to half with cash because the operatives have the monopoly of understanding whether or not the papers are real or faux or whether or not there’s underpayment.
Although usually on the transfer, the ever-busy Naval Base space of the Abuja-Lokoja Freeway in Kogi State, the Ibilor space in Edo State and the Okene-Edo-Ekiti route, are cited as among the infamous checkpoints the place these NCS operatives ply their commerce. Just lately, a member representing Ovia Federal Constituency of Edo State, Dennis Idahosa, petitioned the instant previous Comptroller Basic of the NCS, Hameed Ali over alleged extortion and harassment of motorists and different street customers at Ekiadolor, alongside the Benin-Ore-Lagos Freeway. Whereas acknowledging the truth that actions of smugglers and importers of contraband items should be checked, Idahosa famous that this shouldn’t be used as an avenue to extort harmless and hardworking Nigerians.
