Anyone who regularly drives into or around Awka, the capital city of Anambra State, won’t fail to notice the police checkpoints at both sides of the Amawbia Express Highway. These two points have been turned to points where motorists are daily extorted by police officers deployed to ensure the safety of the citizenry.
The checkpoints sprang up during the time hoodlums were laying siege on the state and after they launched their first and only attack on the capital city.
While we understand the reason for setting up the checkpoints, we however frown at the way these officers have been operating. Rather than keeping a watchful eye on likely criminals, these officers are wholly concerned about extorting money from road users, and their favorite targets are commercial drivers. While doing this, they let down their guards and are often seen running after vehicles which drivers fail to bring out money on time.
Because of their greed, criminals have often exploited it to attack and kill them, while snatching their weapons. It thus, seems they’re not ready to learn their lessons
But away from this, the major problem is their seeming sadistic delight in making road users suffer by causing traffic to pile up. Last Sunday, a similar action caused near chaos, as many vehicles, including articulated ones, brought traffic to a near total halt. We are aware that such scenarios usually cause some vehicles to overheat, stop and add to the bedlam.
It is more annoying when it is suspected that those officers seem to purposely cause motorists discomfort as though it’s the latter that kept them there.
It is worrisome that despite past claims by the police condemning extortion on the roads by police officers, this has continued unabated, same way as demanding money for bailable offences has not abated.
It is time the police hierarchy put a final stop to these anomalies. The police’s claim of being the friend of members of the public will always be rubbished by such actions.
Thankfully, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, when contacted about the actions of the police officers at Amawbia, promised to tackle it. We do hope he will put a stop to what goes on there, to allow free flow of traffic
Indeed, accidents have taken place in some places where traffic is held up, with trailers ramming into stationary vehicles. We do not want this to be the lot of anyone due to police negligence.
