Follow Us on Google
By Lukman Olabiyi
Motorists plying Ijebu Ode/Itokin Road, Ikorodu have pleaded with Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi to call his officers to order over extortion going on the route.
They also called on Alabi to set up a committee of independent investigators to verify their claims against his officers on the route.
The route which link to Ijebu Ode, Ogun State and Epe area, according to commuters and motorists have became heaven of extortion for police officers who shun their primary assignment of providing security for the citizens but becomes very active in collection of money from transporters publicly as if they were collecting taxes.
The motorists lamented the rate , they were being extorted at every two kilometres along the road by the police officers that stationed thierselves at different spots within the range of Maya to Itokin.
To confirm the outcry of the motorists , Daily Sun embarked on a trip to the axis on Friday and Saturday and what this reporter saw on the route, was not different from what he was told by the motorists on how police officers were operating .
From Maya to Itokin which is not up to 20 kilometres, about 10 spots were seen where police officers were doing their businesses of extorting the transporters without care for security of lives and properties of the citizens.
At different spots on this route, the police officers numbering about three to six at each spot, took the collection of money from transporters seriously , and even giving change to drivers that gave them highest denomination of naira while any transporters who fail to cooperate with them were being arrested.
It can be recall that the state Commissioner of police, Alabi last week, at the Lagos State Stakeholders’ Forum on Police Accountability quarterly meeting and awards, said there were stop-and-search points at different places within the state and it had become part of the security architectures in the state to combat any likely intruder.
The Lagos police boss at the occasion called for community/police partnership, due to inadequate personnel to tackle all crimes and criminality with the state.
However, contrary to position of the state police commissioner on his reason for stop-and-search points at different places, his officers were doing it for their financial benefits.
Different commercial drivers who spoke with Daily Sun , called for intervention of the police boss in the state
A driver who identified himself, as Muri said the police officers along the route were taking advantage of the bad road on the axis to exploit them, forgetting their primary assignment
“All what you will see on this road , is stop and pay police and not stop and search by the police.How much are we making that we will settling police with over one thousand naira for a trip”, he asked.
Another driver, Wale also shared similarly experience on the road, he advised commissioner of police to set up committee of independent investigators to verify their claims against his officers on the route.
