…The Southeast Yuletide Experience
An investigative trip from Awka to Enugu on Christmas Eve to experience firsthand, the level of extortion faced by holidaymakers travelling for the yuletide in the Southeast of Nigeria revealed sordid happenings, reports Ikeugonna Eleke.
Just before the Christmas celebration set in, a journey from Awka to Enugu, which should be less than one hour, and a distance of about 70 kilometers, was N2, 500, using a popular transport company known as Eastern Mass Transit Limited. The fare then was considered high, and this is because of the high cost of fuel which, as at early December last year, was still N1, 200.
But as the Christmas celebration set in, the fare jumped from N2, 500 to 4, 000, even though the price of fuel reduced to N1, 100. On 24th December when this reporter decided to embark on this investigative trip, the fare had jumped to N5, 000, but that was not the only problem, the problem was that there were no buses at all. Passengers littered the parks waiting for vehicles, and occasionally scrambling for space each time a bus drove in.
When this reporter eventually secured a space in a bus to travel, he asked the driver: ‘Early this month, when fuel was N1, 200 per litre, you people were charging N2, 500 to Enugu; how come you’re now collecting double of same amount now that fuel is N1, 100?’
The driver replied by asking this reporter to keep calm and see how much he would spend on the numerous checkpoints on the way. He said: ‘We are celebrating Christmas, and in the same way, police people and soldiers are also celebrating their season. You will see how we will spend money on the road.’
As we drove out of the park, he announced that any passenger having in their possession incriminating materials should throw them away or tell him to avoid unnecessary delays on the road.
While on the journey, I counted 22 roadblocks comprising various military and paramilitary agencies manning checkpoints on the expressway. Analysis showed that there were a total of six military checkpoints on the short journey, manned by armed soldiers in checkpoints that had sandbags; barrels on the road which narrowed down the width of the road and allowed motorists to only pass through a straight line, one at a time, with oncoming vehicles taking 10 minutes to pass through the same lane, and another 10 minutes for ongoing vehicles.
Police also had nine checkpoints along the same road, all blocked or narrowed down with sandbags stacked on the expressway. Other checkpoints mounted on the road included Customs, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission. In most areas, especially Amansea, in Anambra State, and Ugwuoba and Oji River in Enugu State, the roadblocks were so close together that they strongly impeded movement by motorists.
The total number of roadblocks as recorded by this reporter during the journey, the security agencies and the various locations, were as follows: In Agu Awka, just before the International Convention Centre in Awka, was a military checkpoint, and immediately after was a mobile police checkpoint too. Also still in Agu Awka was a customs checkpoint, while further down the road at Amansea was another military checkpoint, including two police checkpoints; one by regular police and the second by mobile police operatives.
Amansea in Anambra, is a border town with Enugu State, and an exit way out of Anambra. From Ugwuoba which is already in Enugu State, there was first a police checkpoint, followed by another manned by the military, then an FRSC patrol and finally a police checkpoint before one exited Ugwuoba to Oji River. In Oji River, there was a police checkpoint, three military checkpoints in quick secession, then another by FRSC.
One would expect that the military would be too refined to maintain three roadblocks within a short distance, but a passenger said they might have simply split the same team to maximize profile through bribe, given the busy nature of the road. In Ezeagu Community, along the expressway from Anambra to Enugu, this reporter encountered only two police checkpoints before exiting into Ninth Mile, which had only two police checkpoints and one other manned by customs officials.
Similarly, Ngwo, which is the last town before one enters Enugu main town, had only two FRSC checkpoints and one by the police, all in the order chronicled above, from Awka to Enugu.
Insecurity in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, especially by criminals masquerading as secessionists seeking an Independent State of Biafra, is one of the reasons why roadblocks and security checkpoints have become very necessary in the zone. In Anambra, during a recent press briefing by the State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to address the rampant insecurity in the state, he announced that by January this year, his government would declare war on those causing insecurity in the state and hiding under freedom fighting. He said the state had resolved to launch a military operation tagged; ”Operation Udo Ga -Achi”.
An investigative trip from Awka to Enugu on Christmas Eve to experience firsthand, the level of extortion faced by holidaymakers travelling for the yuletide in the Southeast of Nigeria revealed sordid happenings, reports Ikeugonna Eleke.
Just before the Christmas celebration set in, a journey from Awka to Enugu, which should be less than one hour, and a distance of about 70 kilometers, was N2, 500, using a popular transport company known as Eastern Mass Transit Limited. The fare then was considered high, and this is because of the high cost of fuel which, as at early December last year, was still N1, 200.
But as the Christmas celebration set in, the fare jumped from N2, 500 to 4, 000, even though the price of fuel reduced to N1, 100. On 24th December when this reporter decided to embark on this investigative trip, the fare had jumped to N5, 000, but that was not the only problem, the problem was that there were no buses at all. Passengers littered the parks waiting for vehicles, and occasionally scrambling for space each time a bus drove in.
When this reporter eventually secured a space in a bus to travel, he asked the driver: ‘Early this month, when fuel was N1, 200 per litre, you people were charging N2, 500 to Enugu; how come you’re now collecting double of same amount now that fuel is N1, 100?’
The driver replied by asking this reporter to keep calm and see how much he would spend on the numerous checkpoints on the way. He said: ‘We are celebrating Christmas, and in the same way, police people and soldiers are also celebrating their season. You will see how we will spend money on the road.’
As we drove out of the park, he announced that any passenger having in their possession incriminating materials should throw them away or tell him to avoid unnecessary delays on the road.
While on the journey, I counted 22 roadblocks comprising various military and paramilitary agencies manning checkpoints on the expressway. Analysis showed that there were a total of six military checkpoints on the short journey, manned by armed soldiers in checkpoints that had sandbags; barrels on the road which narrowed down the width of the road and allowed motorists to only pass through a straight line, one at a time, with oncoming vehicles taking 10 minutes to pass through the same lane, and another 10 minutes for ongoing vehicles.
Police also had nine checkpoints along the same road, all blocked or narrowed down with sandbags stacked on the expressway. Other checkpoints mounted on the road included Customs, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission. In most areas, especially Amansea, in Anambra State, and Ugwuoba and Oji River in Enugu State, the roadblocks were so close together that they strongly impeded movement by motorists.
The total number of roadblocks as recorded by this reporter during the journey, the security agencies and the various locations, were as follows: In Agu Awka, just before the International Convention Centre in Awka, was a military checkpoint, and immediately after was a mobile police checkpoint too. Also still in Agu Awka was a customs checkpoint, while further down the road at Amansea was another military checkpoint, including two police checkpoints; one by regular police and the second by mobile police operatives.
Amansea in Anambra, is a border town with Enugu State, and an exit way out of Anambra. From Ugwuoba which is already in Enugu State, there was first a police checkpoint, followed by another manned by the military, then an FRSC patrol and finally a police checkpoint before one exited Ugwuoba to Oji River. In Oji River, there was a police checkpoint, three military checkpoints in quick secession, then another by FRSC.
One would expect that the military would be too refined to maintain three roadblocks within a short distance, but a passenger said they might have simply split the same team to maximize profile through bribe, given the busy nature of the road. In Ezeagu Community, along the expressway from Anambra to Enugu, this reporter encountered only two police checkpoints before exiting into Ninth Mile, which had only two police checkpoints and one other manned by customs officials.
Similarly, Ngwo, which is the last town before one enters Enugu main town, had only two FRSC checkpoints and one by the police, all in the order chronicled above, from Awka to Enugu.
Insecurity in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, especially by criminals masquerading as secessionists seeking an Independent State of Biafra, is one of the reasons why roadblocks and security checkpoints have become very necessary in the zone. In Anambra, during a recent press briefing by the State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to address the rampant insecurity in the state, he announced that by January this year, his government would declare war on those causing insecurity in the state and hiding under freedom fighting. He said the state had resolved to launch a military operation tagged; ”Operation Udo Ga -Achi”.
He said: ‘The operation will include an aggressive stop and search, and mounting of roadblocks aimed at whittling down the incidences of crime in the state. We are not unaware of the inconveniences that this may cause to our people, but we are asking that they bear with us because it is a temporary measure.’
In what looks like a license to operate, Fides’ firsthand experience along Awka-Enugu Highway showed that even before the commencement of ”Operation Udo Ga Achi”, security operatives had begun the implementation of the aggressive stop and search order. A journey of less than 70 kilometers, which originally should be less than one hour on the beautifully tarred expressway constructed by MTN Nigeria as part of its corporate social responsibility to Nigerians, even though it was just one lane already done, spanned three hours and more.
The simple reason for this is that many of the security checkpoints insisted on either searching commuters, which involved a long process, while others simply stood at the roadblocks, collecting bribe from motorists. Investigation showed that those who were mostly subjected to unending search were drivers of private vehicles, especially vehicles deemed to be flashy cars and driven by younger people.
Drivers of commercial vehicles, who already seemed to know the reason for the checkpoints, simply paid at every checkpoint. While police operatives collected a minimum of N100, checkpoints mounted by the military collected nothing less than N200. Again, while checkpoints mounted by police operatives collected higher denominations and also gave out change to motorists, those by military operatives did not.
During the journey, a military personnel was overheard scolding a driver who had unfortunately given a higher denomination and was expecting a change, ‘You no know say soldiers no dey give change? Oga dey go abeg.’
The case was not the same with private car owners whose vehicles’ particulars were not complete as they paid as high as N10, 000 or even more. A passenger in the bus who gave his name as Moses, said: ‘In most cases, if they search your phone, they simply label you a Yahoo boy, and that is all they need to be able to charge you how much to pay. The charges sometimes depend on how much they found as your credit balance, or any other incriminating materials.’
The return journey from Enugu to Awka through the Old Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, however proved better with lesser checkpoints as only nine checkpoints were encountered from Ngwo, Enugu State, to Amansea, Anambra State.
Meanwhile, many have argued that the system of policing society through mounting of roadblocks has become old fashioned and anachronistic. Mr Valentine Obienyem, a businessman and media practitioner, while reacting to the level of roadblocks and extortion on the road, said: ‘I have always maintained that security is virtually non-existent in Nigeria. What may be prompting most Nigerians to join the security forces these days is likely the opportunity to collect bribes as they observe others doing.