To Disband Checkpoints

economic situation in the country where police officers are not adequately taken care of has shifted the goal post. Police officers now see checkpoints as a way of making money for themselves through offenders who would opt for settlement.

“You should understand that the major reason for mounting a checkpoint is to control crime and fish out criminal elements in the society. It’s at the checkpoint that we recover stolen vehicles sometimes, arrest people with arms and ammunition, and arrest ritualists with human parts.

“You can’t underestimate the importance of checkpoints. I agree with you that there are some checkpoints that shouldn’t be, especially those that are mounted close to each other. We use them, sometimes, to cushion the effects of the economy on us,” he said.

The source explained that “when there is a crime in Agbara and we receive intelligence, we will mount emergency checkpoints at Alakija or Mile 2 or at another place where the criminals will not be expecting to meet any checkpoint. So, checkpoints are to save the situation. But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Trying to justify mounting of checkpoints, he said: “We spend money on virtually everything. We spend our money to buy boots, which the government is supposed to provide for us. We sow our own uniform and caps. If you look closely at the police uniform, you will notice that the colours are not the same.

“You will see some difference in what we wear. Is this normal? If we don’t mount checkpoints, where do we get money for these expenses we do. Our bosses will not stand here because most of them are big and bigger than this. They are also comfortable but they can’t be here; we get permit to go.

“Sometimes, we will be the ones that will meet our Ogas and beg them to allow us to mount a roadblock to make some money. When they allow us, they will still have their own share. Sometimes, emergency checkpoints are not because there is an intelligence gathering, but to make small money.

“You are a Nigerian; you know what is happening. In some cases, when there is no fuel in the station to run our generator or fuel the patrol vans, we need to take permission to do one thing or the order. We mount checkpoint, raise money and buy fuel. Once we achieve that, we go back.

“Also, during some official motorised patrols, officers can stop briefly to make some money for food and drinks. At this point, we are not looking for offence; we don’t stay long. Just expecting good Nigerians to do us well.”

On why lobbying to come to Lagos, a retired police officer said: “There is money in Lagos and the state has the population of people who are ready to settle and continue their businesses.

“Lagos residents don’t want to waste their time. They are always ready for settlement to allow them to carry on with their businesses. Lagos is a commercial centre and people easily part with good amount of money when being threatened.”

The Guardian learnt that offering bribe to security officers in Lagos is spurred by the fact that there are many illegal businesses in the state and the owners prefer to settle the police to look the other side while they do their businesses.

A resident, Kunle Adekan, who was dealing in adulterated engine oil and oil bunkering in FESTAC before the military post was located between the 7th Avenue and the 4th Avenue, used to settle certain officers on a regular basis to be able to remain in the business.

At a time when he wanted to stop the business because of the huge amount he was paying to the officers, he was encouraged to continue. They said to him: “You don’t have sense. So, you want to stop and to be idle? Are we collecting all the money from you? Do your own and give us our own. If you stop, what do you want to be doing?”

Explaining why orders to disband checkpoints are not being obeyed, security experts said it had to do with the will to enforce the orders, lamenting that the IGPS would say one thing but the officers would do another thing. According to the experts, the IGPS are not firm with their declaration, which has become a ritual with each successive IGP.

In a chat with one of the officers at a checkpoint in FESTAC ( Name withheld), he said the reason for lobbying for deployment to Lagos was not different from the reason many Nigerians were coming to Lagos in search of white- collar job.

“There is only one major reason officers want to be transferred to Lagos like every other person. People go to where opportunity exists. Lagos is a place of high opportunities. It has the population and it’s easier to make money in Lagos than Borno State.

“There is money in Lagos. There are big men who are ready to share with the police. Some of them want police protection and are ready to pay the officers. Some of them want you to patrol around their house, offices or business centres so that people will know that police are on guard there.

“Even big churches use police during vigil. The presence of police at an event or church vigils does a lot to the psyche of the worshippers and those with criminal intentions. The bottom point is that there is job opportunity in Lagos.

“We are looking for opportunities because we also have bills to pay like every other Nigerian. We have families, children and friends who are looking up to us.

“So, for us to meet up with our obligations, with the peanuts that we are paid as salary, those who violate the laws must be arrested. Some of them opt for settlement instead of going to jail. We are also human beings, so we allow those who promise not to commit crime again to settle out of station,” he said.

Apart from police checkpoints, VIOS are also mounting checkpoints and exploiting motorists.

A motorist, Mr. Emeka Nnoruka, was driving from FESTAC through Apple Junction in Amuwo- Odofin Local Government Area ( LGA) of Lagos State. On getting to the Apple Junction

Traffic Light, a VIO ordered a junior officer to stop him.

The inexperienced officer approached the motorist and requested for his driver’s licence, which the motorist gave to him without suspecting any offence. But to his amazement, the officer handed the driver’s licence over to his superior who pocketed it, telling the motorist to pull over.

The officer accused the motorist of committing a traffic offence, but the motorist disagreed. The motorist was later told that he had a shattered windscreen, a short single line on the screen. The motorist insisted he did not commit any offence.

When the officers saw that the motorist, who was a journalist, was unyielding and refused to part with money, they allowed him to go and gave him his licence.

The VIOS at that junction were up to10 in number. They positioned themselves on the roads coming from FESTAC and the other road coming from Second Rainbow on the OshodiApapa Expressway to Apple Junction. The hungry- looking officers stop vehicles with threat to impound them, an intimidation that makes their victims to opt for settlement.

The VIOS demand for driver’s licence in their strategy to arrest motorists, and list different offences including shattered screen, which could be a single crack line on the screen.

The socio- economic situation in the country where police officers are not adequately taken care of has shifted the goal post. Police officers now see checkpoints as a way of making money for themselves through offenders who would opt for settlement

There’s no how you won’t see policemen on roads – Police The Force Public Police Relations Officer ( FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi said policemen were on the roads for police visibility.

Adejobi, who said the cancellation of roadblocks was because of extortion, harassment and extra- judicial killings, maintained that it is one of the strategies adopted by the security agency to effectively police the country. He said no IGP would ban stop and search.

He said that the masses should be able to differentiate between four strategies, which he listed as roadblock, search point, observation point and pin- down point.

“If the roadblock is not the one in which they put logs on the road to form zigzag movement, it is not a roadblock. A situation where we have policemen stay in a bad portion of the road is not a roadblock, it is a stop and search point. Because there is no log of wood or drums on the road, it is still a stop and search point.

“Where there are policemen seated inside their vehicles, it is either you call it an observation point or nipping point. So, we have roadblocks in some areas across the country created at the instance of the governor of those states.

“Some governors write to the police that they want roadblocks and in some places, we know we can’t operate without proper roadblocks. There is no how you won’t see policemen on the road. It is their job to be there as part of visibility policing and no IG has cancelled ‘ stop and search points.’

“They cancelled roadblocks because of extortion, harassment and extra- judicial killings, yet it’s one of the strategies adopted by police to police effectively. So, we should be able to differentiate between these four strategies.”

When contacted to speak on the proliferation of checkpoints and roadblocks on Lagos roads as well as allegation of extortion of motorists by police, the Lagos State Command Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundyin, declined comment.

However, the police are advised to monitor without checkpoints. In this digital age, they can acquire modern software to check vehicle particulars without stopping road users anyhow.

The Senator representing Enugu North, Chukwuka Utazi, once moved a motion on the floor of the Senate to lament the number of checkpoints being used to oppress motorists and cause hardship.

“Sixty checkpoints are what a traveller and the motoring public will have to confront in moving from Lagos to

Onitsha. You know what that means. The Senate will not renege on our responsibilities when the masses of this country complain that government police meant to protect them have been turned into oppressive conduct by those concerned and which the IGP and people of his ilk may not be aware of.”

Following this complain, the Senate asked the then IGP, Adamu, to reduce the number of checkpoints on federal highways across the country to reduce the gridlock on the roads.

Adamu was also urged to direct his officers to stop extortion of motorists while carrying out their checks.