By Harry Awurumibe, just back from Owerri
Road travels in Nigeria have become a nightmarish adventure for commuters as the menace of security agencies extorting money at checkpoints littering across the country is a well documented case.
Specifically, travelling on South-East highways has been characterized by numerous, often unofficial roadblocks where security personnel demand bribes from motorists, both private and commercial transporters in the broad daylight without shame.
In fact, the menace of police and other security agency extortion at checkpoints on South-East Nigerian highways is a pervasive and well-documented issue. This corruption seems to have come to stay in the South-East.
Prompt News investigation this yuletide revealed that this practice significantly impacts the South-East region’s economy, erodes public trust in law enforcement agents, and poses safety risks to travellers on the region’s routes.
Travelling by road from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja to the South-East during the Christmas season was a nightmare as commuters did not only face the spate of insecurity and bad roads network, the number of roadblocks mounted by various security agencies were alarming.
Sadly, the extortion of motorists on Nigerian roads has become a new normal or business as the police, military, and paramilitary agents who man the roadblocks now have the audacity to collect bribes from motorists and still give them change if the money is in a higher naira denomination.
This is more pronounced in the South-East region because immediately, the motorist crossed the boundaries of adjoining states into Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states, the point-to-point illegal revenue collection starts at no fewer than 100 checkpoints especially from Onitsha head bridge to Ikwuano-Umuahia, Abia state boundary with Akwa Ibom state, driving through Ihiala-Orlu via Anara-Okohia-Mbano- Umuhia-Ikot-Ekpene roads.
Also, it is frustrating for motorists travelling from Benue and Kogi states axis to South-East through Otukpa and Olamaboro areas to Obolo-Afor, Enugu state via Opi-Nsukka road or 9th Mile Corner via Onyeama Hills to Abakpa-Nike by Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway through Okigwe and Umuahia in Abia state.
From Abomege boundary between Ebonyi and Cross River states, driving through Abakiliki to Ishiagu-Lokpanta and Okigwe town, motorists spend long hours and alot of cash to settle the men at the checkpoints.
But the most notorious checkpoint or collection point in the South-East
routes is the PDS Amaraku Joint Task Force checkpoint along Anara-Amaraku-Owerri road in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo state. Passengers in commercial vehicles and private cars are forced to disembark from their vehicles and trek across the checkpoint, while for every vehicle that passed there, the driver is forced to pay bribes.
Worse, they stretch out their hands to collect bribes from drivers and, in turn, give them change in full glare of the passengers in the vehicles. They also bargain how much each driver will pay before they will allow him to go.
In deed, the scope and prevalence of extortion going on at the various parts of the South-East region have attracted
numerous reports from human rights organizations and media outlets confirming that extortion is a widespread and systemic problem in all five South-East states of Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi.
The high number of checkpoints in the region has led to groups like the Igbo National Council (INC) to have reported the existence of about 98 security checkpoints across the region, with some roads having multiple stops within short distances.
For instance, a 60-kilometer stretch of road between Osisioma Ngwa in Abia and Rivers states have over 30 checkpoints.
There is multi-agency involvement in this crime against the people of the region in particular and Nigerians in general.
While the police are primarily implicated, personnel from other agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), also participate in these crimes against the people of the region and Nigerians in general.
The scale of this massive extortion has a significant financial impact on the people, especially commercial drivers who ply the roads daily as report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (IntersocietIntersociety) alleged that security forces extorted a staggering ₦21.8 billion from motorists in the South-East over a two-month period (December 2024 to January 2025). This amount has tripled for the last one year.
Again, the mpacts of checkpoints menace on
economic activities of the people and the disruptions it brings are much..The delays caused by frequent stops and bribe negotiations slow down the movement of goods and services, leading to increased transportation costs and price hikes for consumers.
This is even as travel time on major routes, such as travelling from Lagos to Aba, Abia state now doubles due to these checkpoints while the practice has severely damaged public perception of security agencies, who are meant to protect citizens but are seen as exploiting them instead. It breeds erosion of public trust:
Importantly, it presents
security risks as officers focused on extorting money may neglect their actual security duties, making roads more vulnerable to attacks by bandits and kidnappers. The checkpoints themselves can become targets for criminal elements.
Finally, this menace has caused a lot of human rights violations. For example, refusal to pay bribes has, in some cases, led to harassment, assault, unlawful detention, and even death.
Against this backdrop, authorities have not made enough efforts to combat extortion, although they have made efforts to address the problem. But consistent enforcement remains a challenge.
READ ALSO:
- AY Reacts To Cancellation Calls After Missing Cardiff Show
- JUST IN: Court removes Uzodinma, declares Okorocha APC senatorial candidate
- Why I quit RCCG UK leadership despite influence, Pastor explains
- FCDA Official Jailed 25 Years for Land Racketeering
- Banker gets 39 years for N2.7bn fraud involving government accounts
Meanwhile, it has to be said that official condemnation and orders have beenissued by high-ranking police and military officials, including state Commissioners of Police and the Defence Headquarters, have condemned the practice and issued directives for the removal of unofficial checkpoints and the cessation of extortion.
Following the public outcry, disciplinary actions have been taken against individual officers who have faced disciplinary measures, including dismissal and suspension, following public outcry and documented evidence of extortion.
