Over the years, police checkpoints have become a nightmare for motorists and travelers as policemen turn checkpoints into money making venture and point of human rights abuse. The recent order by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, for the dismantling of every police checkpoint across the country brought a sigh of relief to Nigerians.? GABRIEL EWEPU got the views of Nigerians about the issue.
Nigerians welcomed the pronouncement by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, on the 12th of February ordering the removal of checkpoints from the nation’s highways and intrastate roads. He gave this directive in a meeting with senior police officers in charge of operations and Criminal Investigation Department (CID
?He condemned what he described as “merchandizing” by police men whom he said has converted themselves into beggars. He also stated that toll stations in the name of check points are filled with policemen collecting money from motorists in the full glare of the public.
The nation’s highways have become an eye-sore and illegal hub for all manner of corruption perpetrated by members of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). The nation’s image was seriously dented because of the shameless manner police officers were forcefully collecting money from motorists, especially commercial drivers.
The IG’s displeasure can be described as a rage against the conduct of some beggarly elements in the force who have given the organisation a tarnished image. He said: “Police duties have become commercialized and provided at the whims and caprices of the highest bidders”. He also mentioned that “our police stations, state CIDs and operation offices have become business centers and collection points for rendering returns from all kinds of squads and teams set up for the benefit of superior officers”.
?The IG emphatically stated that, “Any observed non –compliance to these directives and subsequent ones which shall be issued from time to time will attract severe sanctions as my administration will not be frustrated by officers’ noncommittal attitude to work nor will it tolerate indiscipline, indolence, corruption, inefficiency and all the negative tendencies that have brought so much disgrace to the force”.
The IG emphatically stated that, “Any observed noncompliance to these directives and subsequent ones which shall be issued from time to time will attract severe sanctions as my administration will not be frustrated by officers non- committal attitude to work nor will it tolerate indiscipline, indolence, corruption, inefficiency and all the negative tendencies that have brought so much disgrace to the force”.
At Jabi Motor Park in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some Nigerians spoke on the issue. Mr Chukwunonso Emeka, a manager with one of the transport companies at Jabi Motor Park, said the check points manned by the police were deadly as most drivers were killed if they refused to give bribe. Emeka said: “I am happy that the IG has removed police checkpoints across the nation’s highways, because we drivers have been the victim of police brutalization and incessant killings on the highways. Although after the IG said that police checkpoints should be dismantled, the highways are not secured as armed robbers continue to attack drivers and travelers. I want the government to mount soldiers on the highways.”
Mr Oyewole Oyekan is a commercial bus driver who plies Lagos-Abuja route said that the police checkpoints were basically points of extortion. “I am a commercial driver who ply between Lagos and Abuja. The police checkpoints were not doing us good, rather it was adding pain to us. Can you imagine, I use to spend over N6, 000 (six thousand naira) from Ibadan to Abuja at police checkpoints daily. They made the checkpoints a toll-gate, rather than a stop-and- search point. They should remain at their stations, because they were of no use to us as their presence even increased armed robbery on the highways. The reason is, some armed robbers are in police uniforms. I am very happy with the order from the IG to dismantle every police checkpoint across the country. Unfortunately, some police men do mount checkpoints along Okene-Abuja road, especially at night. I know about four of such checkpoints on that road, because I ply the road at night. My suggestion to the IG is that, patrol teams should 24 hours on the highway, it will help greatly to reduce armed robbery.”
Mr Silas Aken, a passenger stated that police checkpoints were not the best option to safeguard the highways; rather the police should patrol the roads regularly. “When I was traveling from Ogoja to Abuja, there was a stand-still as some police men were busy collecting N100 (one hundred naira) from each motorist. I was happy when I heard the IG’s statement on the removal of police checkpoints across the country. It is a welcome reform in the police force, but the IG should mobilise patrol teams to provide security on the highways,” Aken said.
Mr Ben Ogwugbunam, a commercial driver welcomed the order of the IG as he had always been extorted by policemen at checkpoints. Ogwugbunam said that, “With the removal of police checkpoints from the highway, I have heaved a sigh of relief since the IG removed these checkpoints, because I no longer spend money at police checkpoints. The check points were sometimes abandoned, leading to the cause of fatal accidents, even become spots for armed robbery attacks. There is insecurity on the road at the moment on the highway. The IG should have patrol teams at strategic points that will patrol 24 hours, and it will drastically reduce insecurity on the highway, and also army should take over the road.”
Few weeks ago, after the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, ordered the dismantling of police checkpoints across the country, a member of the House of Representatives sponsored a controversial motion recently, seeking to reverse it. Hon Friday Itulah, however, failed in his bid, as the House rejected the motion.
Hon Itula had argued that the IG’s action had led to increased armed robberies on the highways. He said armed robbers had taken advantage of the situation and were more daring than before on the highways. Itula called for an interactive session between the House Committee on Police Affairs and the police to discuss the matter. But, lawmakers rejected the motion in a majority voice vote.
Kicking against the motion, Hon Ayo Omidiran and Hon Udoh Ibeji recalled that armed robbers always unleashed terror on commuters when the checkpoints were in place, while the police could not respond appropriately.
Hon Omidrian said, “How many armed robbers and terrorists were the police operatives able to arrest at the various checkpoints across the country when roadblocks were in place?” She received a thunderous “none” and commendation in response to the question. They advised the IG to continue with his security plans, but urged him to quickly replace the checkpoints with regular patrols on the highways.
The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, recently declared that his directive on roadblock removal from the nation’s high ways will not be reversed.
Mr Abubakar who further declared that the era of mounting roadblocks across the country by the police is gone and will not be reviewed, stated that he would hold state commissioners of police responsible for any crime committed within their jurisdiction.
In his words, “The suggestions that Police checkpoints be returned to the highways because of robberies will not suffice, even when the checkpoints were in place, how many kidnappers did they stop? How many vehicles or persons involved in smuggling of arms and ammunition on these roads did they stop? Rather, what they were doing was tarnishing the image of the police by involving themselves in embarrassing acts”.
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