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There is a civilised form of thuggery going on in Enugu metropolis. Civilised in the sense that the extra-legal coercion in full glare of the public is not carried out by street-level urchins. It is a state-sanctioned raw display of power, officially-recognized bullying, and devil-may-care traffic enforcement, that would embarrass any decent passer-by. Even the Agberos in motor parks will not indulge in such bare-faced dehumanization committed by officials of Enugu State Ministry of Transport (MOT). The Agberos know that they could be summoned by higher authorities and made to face the music for their misdeeds. But the Enugu MOT officials are different. They are power drunk. They are uncompromisingly crude. Civility and courtesy are far from them. They act like agents of colonial overlords. Their unchecked lurking for victims could be out of intense pressure to meet daily targets in order to have a bigger cut. Therefore, the rat-racing must not apply the brakes. Unfortunately, they inadvertently de-market Enugu State.
In fairness, the level of madness witnessed on our roads demands strict enforcement to serve as a deterrent. The recklessness subjects the public to grave risks that are avoidable. As such, the Enugu State Government deserves its flowers for rising up to the challenge. But attempting to solve the problem in a cruel and nasty manner is despicable and unacceptable. Its gory picture is saddening. It is an onomatopoeia of the Nigerian popular cuisine, point-and-kill fish. To provide a context, the point-and-kill menu is a local dish prepared with fresh catfish and seasoned with spicy and organic condiments. People who can afford the dish go for it because of its nutritious value.
However, behind the tasty delicacy is a hardnosed slaughter of the fish. The fish is identified and mercilessly killed for merry making. The name originated from the practice of choosing a live catfish from inside an artificial pond, or collapsible container, where harvested fish await final judgment. And because of its popularity on the streets, the ‘point-and-kill’ lexicon will soon join the list of daily expressions and popular cuisines in the country that are globally-recognized. About 20 of Nigerian pidgin slangs had been included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in the early years of 2025 and 2026.
How does this correlate with traffic enforcement in Enugu? Indeed, the fear of MOT is the beginning of wisdom in Enugu. MOT runs a predator-prey relationship. They plot to catch people to make money. Full stop. They camouflage with mini-buses with commercial colour and take cover near traffic lights. As soon as there is an alleged traffic offence, they would emerge from their ambush and quietly trail the offender to the next traffic light where the driver would stop, cue behind other vehicles, or during drop-off. They would pounce on the vehicle like a fish targeted for elimination. Of course, the MOT operates with locally-made wheel clamps. Apart from wheel clamping, MOT officials would jump into the vehicle and order the offender to their office for payment of fines. Alternatively, they would call for a towing van which will convey the vehicle to their office and the bill will be borne by the owner of the arrested vehicle. Some of them also rip off their victims with negotiated settlement.
The aggressive and dangerous pursuits of traffic offenders had sometimes led to accidents. Last month, some MOT officials got the beating of their lives after a vehicle they were pursuing hit a passer-by. It took a swift intervention of men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to rescue them from jungle justice. The rough-handling was a fallout of accumulated anger of road users who had fallen victims of their extortionate traffic enforcement.
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By all standards, everything is wrong with MOT’s modus operandi. First, enforcement of traffic rule should not be a revenue-generating enterprise. When you treat law enforcement as a business outlet, abuse is inevitable. Fines are supposed to be corrective, not punitive. The idea of turning the Ministry of Transport into a full-fledged money-yielding agency will be counterproductive in the long run. Public safety management cannot run effectively with profit-loss mentality. The emotional intelligence needed for such sensitive assignment will be thrown overboard. Besides, doing so is tantamount to pushing the already distraught citizenry, especially in the transport sector, to the wall, in a country where social safety net is clearly absent.
Another point is that the crude style of traffic enforcement is shameful for a growing cosmopolitan city like Enugu. First-time visitors, investors, and possibly, diplomats could be scared and molested by the insensitive macho men in MOT uniform. Countries that are intentional about public perception usually train their citizens who are most likely to be the first contact for visitors (drivers and hoteliers, etc) to be courteous and friendly. There are minor, unintentional, and honest traffic mistakes which could be corrected with proper education and prompt caution. The MOT should be observant to know whether the alleged offender is new in town. All defaults must not end up in paying fines. That is the discretion which MOT officials have not been trained to exercise without bribery.
The third issue is that human interface in law enforcement breeds corruption. The State Government had established the Command & Control Centre for security surveillance and swift response. Traffic monitoring cameras can also be installed at strategic locations. Through technological tracking of plate numbers, offenders would be obligated to pay their fines within a specific time at designated places. The consciousness that one is under CCTV monitoring imposes self-restraint and comportment. Just as MOT deploys phone cameras to prove traffic offences, such measures should be escalated with the mounting of cameras where traffic lights are stationed.
Beyond the reforms in MOT, the State Government should liaise with the appropriate federal agencies and security personnel to stop the use of one-way by trailers and other road users beginning from the Centenary City junction down to Abia-Enugu border along the Enugu- PH Expressway. This will reduce the avoidable carnage along that route and reposition Enugu as one of the most civilized states in Nigeria.
