From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba
Motorists plying the old Aba/Umuahia highway have decried the activities of policemen who mount roadblocks and extort money from them.
There are over 10 roadblocks from Itungwa to Umuafo, a distance of less than three kilometres, mounted by men of the Eastern Ngwa Police Division and the Federal Highway Police.
Ike Chijioke, a driver who plys the new Abia/Akwa Ibom road, said they risk trouble if they refuse to give the police and soldiers money, whether the vehicle particulars are up to date or not.
He said: “Policemen and soldiers have returned to their old ways of extorting money from motorists. We thought that with the #EndSARS protests, police intimidation would be a thing of the past, but we are mistaken.
Read Also: Motorists groan as #ENDSARS protest grounds Kaduna
“Even the soldiers are back with the small boys who collect money for them at various checkpoints. The vehicle size will determine the amount to be collected, and it could be higher if the bus is overloaded with commodities.
“For the Federal Highway Police, you must park your vehicle and get to their patrol van where you pay about N500 depending on your load.”
The motorists called on the Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Janet Agbede, and Area Command Area Kabiru Ibrahim, to call their men to order.
Efforts to speak with Agbede were unsuccessful as she did not respond to messages and calls to her phone.
A military source in 14 Brigade, Army Headquarters, Ohafia, said the Army leadership has zero tolerance for extortion. He warned that any soldier caught extorting, dehumanising or exploiting the public would be dealt with according to the outfit’s operational guidelines.
Leave a Reply