Despite the directive of the Inspector General of Police,
Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to police formations to dismantle roadblocks across the
country, several police teams have mounted roadblocks in some parts of Aba and
along the Old Aba-Umuahia highway, Abia State...
The policemen operating with
patrol vehicles such as Federal Highway Police, MOPOL 28, and the Eastern Ngwa
Police Divisions are allegedly using the roadblocks to extort money from
motorists. Nigerian police Vanguard observed that the roadblocks along the old
Aba-Umuahia highway, were located within a distance of less than two
kilometres. From a distance of less than two kilometres, there are over five
police checkpoints, with the first one at Acho Nwakanma junction to Osusu
Amaukwa. A cross section of motorists who spoke to Vanguard lamented that the
police teams now use the numerous roadblocks on the Ukaegbu junction, Ikot
Ekpene Road and Aba-Umuahia road to extort money from them and urged the state
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, to call them to order. Contacted,
CP Anthony Ogbizi, who confirmed that roadblocks remain banned, however,
explained that there is a difference between roadblock and checkpoint in police
operations and urged Vanguard to send photographs of any roadblock mounted by
policemen. He said: “Roadblocks remain banned. There is no roadblock, there
can’t be roadblocks. They can’t be located less than a kilometre. I don’t even
have manpower like that. There are differences in our patrol systems. If you
give me the exact location, I will send my men to check. “There are policemen
at the Abia /Rivers and Imo/Abia border posts because of IPOB activities. You
know Abia is bordered by about six states. When you talk about Mopol 28 and
Mopol 55, we deploy them in strategic points like the Hausa quarters, onions
market, cattle markets. These are not roadblocks. How do we intercept vehicles
that are stolen? We send our policemen to mount strategic points. These are not
roadblocks.”
No comments: