Police Now Collect N100 At Checkpoints..

June 04, 2009 14:32
By Adetutu Audu

The men of the Nigeria Police no longer collect N20 at road blocks, but N100, P.M.NEWS’ checks have revealed.

Investigations at some police checkpoints in Lagos revealed that the unscrupulous police officers are now rejecting N20 bribe and demanding N100 from motorists, commuter bus drivers and commercial motorcyclists, a.k.a. okada riders. P.M.NEWS’ investigation further revealed that the ‘toll’ varies from one area to another. Drivers of commuter buses plying Obalende, Ikeja, PWD, Oshodi, Acme Road, Pen Cinema and other choice areas in the metropolis, said they paid N100 at checkpoints located along their routes. Okada riders also confirmed paying the same amount.

A commuter bus driver, Mr. Ameh Ijeh, told P.M.NEWS that: ” When you get to the checkpoints, what you hear is march am, which means step on your brake, with N100. Our reporter also witnessed a scene where a motorist gave a policeman N20 at a checkpoint at the Ikeja GRA. The police officer told the driver that he would not allow him to go if he did not pay N100. “Who go collect N20. Your money na N100. If you no get, park.” Those were the words of the policeman.

Commuter bus drivers plying routes like Fola Agoro in Somolu area of Lagos state, Ipaja-Ayobo, College Road, Ifako and other areas in the suburb, still give the routine N20 at checkpoints. It was observed that the policemen usually increase the toll to N100 at night, along these routes. Those who refused to pay the ‘toll’ are delayed and sometimes their vehicles are impounded and taken to the police station where they are charged with a different offence.

Many Nigerians have been killed and maimed just because they did not part with the N20 bribe. on 3 November, 2008, 23-year-old Gabriel Mordi, a presenter with the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Asaba, was murdered in cold blood at a police checkpoint on the Benin-Asaba Expressway, Agbor, for not stopping when he was asked to stop by policemen at the checkpoint. 19-year-old Bariu Ayoola Thanne, a student of the Lagos State University, Epe campus, also suffered the same fate on 25 November, 2008, at a police checkpoint along Lagos-Epe Expressway.

Modebayo Awosika, a relationship manager with First Bank Plc., was killed on 30 September, 2008, by a trigger-happy policeman at Lekki Expressway roundabout, Lagos. On 9 April, 2009, 3-year-old Kaosarat Saliu met her untimely death a day to her birthday, on her way home, after her parents took her to the salon to make her hair in preparation for the birthday. Their vehicle was shot around Ketu area of Lagos state and the bullet hit the young girl in the head.