Daniel Anokwuru
The monumental extortion by policemen on road blocks along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway has reached an alarming stage.
The officers on this route carry out their extortion with full force, without any regard or respect to their uniform. Commercial vehicles plying the route already know the amount expected from them at every checking point.
The officers, in turn, give an identification number to the drivers. The number covers them to operate from morning till evening when a new team would resume. In the evening, they were expected to pay another money.
The Nigerian Xpress reporter, on Monday, February 3, 2020, took a commercial vehicle from Okokomaiko to Badagry roundabout, to have a firsthand experience of what the drivers has been lamenting.
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The reporter counted 13 police checkpoints from Agbara to Badagry roundabout. This is excluding Immigrations and Customs personnel.
One bizarre thing was that having all your vehicle papers intact would never save you as the officers were seen seizing the vehicle papers of some drivers that tries to claim their ‘right’.
At each checkpoint, they collect N200 from all commercial vehicles. Some drivers, who pleaded that they should collect N100, were delayed until they complete the payment. The strategy of drivers carrying a personnel in front of their vehicle to escape the extortion no longer pays off. Such officers were, at some point, humiliated for prohibiting them from collecting their money.
At one of the checkpoints mounted opposite Area ‘K’ Command Headquarters, Badagry, the officers wearing only police branded shirts, armed with AK 47 riffles, were very brutal and hostile to the drivers.
Mr. Azeez Oguniyi, a commercial driver, told the reporter that there is nothing they can do, because if they refuse to pay, the officers would delay them and the pressure from the passengers will force them to pay to avoid delay.
He said:”This is what we are suffering in the hand of the policemen on this route. Everyday, I pay minimum of N2,400 to them.
“Check the number of vehicles that pass this route, you will know that they are in a serious business.
“When I passed Atura bus stop around 9:00am, the number they gave me there was 178. That means 178 vehicles had paid N200 each as at that hour. Once you pay, they will give you number.
“That is the number you will call for them if you are coming back to show that you had paid before”.
Another commercial driver, Augutine Obidike, told the reporter that all his vehicle papers were complete but that the officers do not care if you have correct papers. He said all the policemen required from you was to just pay your money collect your number and go.
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According to him, “We renew our papers to avoid arrest by Road Safety Officials and VIO. The roads are very bad. The police do not care if you have papers or not.
“You must pay your N 200. I am using a small vehicle that carries only 6 passengers. We charge N300 from Agbara to Roundabout. About 13 police checkpoint each collecting N200. All the money I make on my first trip goes to the police.
“The situation is very sad they don’t even respect their uniform. They demand for the money with force as if it is their right.
“You will see them shouting have you paid? What is your number? The police Authority should urgently do something about this situation”.
At Agemowo bus stop, the reporter witnessed a mild drama between a bus conductor and a police officer with the name Adekunle Godfrey.
The conductor had told the officer that they had paid during their first trip and he gave them number 20. But the officer insisted that he was lying. The conductor brought out another N200 and gave to him, as he was abusing the officer and his family in Igbo language, not knowing that the officer understands Igbo.
The situation caused serious commotion as he threatened to kill the conductor for insulting him and his family. It took much pleading from people before the bus was allowed to go.
In some of the checkpoints, the officers employed a camp boy who helps them to collect the money. They only intervene when any driver was being intransigent.
Also at Checkpoint Bus Stop, one of the officers, identified as Aduma Dominic, ordered a paramilitary officer sitting in front of one of the commercial vehicles to alight. He accused the officer of impersonation. After much argument, he was allowed to continue his journey with the bus.
A text message sent to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Elkana Balla, to get the reaction of the command on what they are doing about the ugly situation has not been responded to as at the time of this report.
