By NewdayReporters, Awka
Motorists in Anambra State have voiced their frustrations regarding incessant roadblocks and activities of security agents, particularly the police, urging the government to alleviate the hardship caused by these checkpoints.
They are calling for the police leadership to adopt a more modern and effective methods for crime prevention.
One motorist expressed bewilderment over the police presence between Amawbia Flyover and Udoka Estate, noting that the roadblock there seems unnecessary.
The motorist pointed out that the police do not appear to be conducting any security-related activities at this checkpoint. Instead, they create traffic congestion and only conduct searches if drivers refuse to pay the money demanded by the officers’ associates.
Often, the police sit idly by while their associates harass drivers and demand bribes, according to one commercial driver Mr. Ekene Okonkwo, who shared his frustrations with NewdayReporters.
He highlighted the difficulties faced by drivers on the stretch between Amawbia and Awka due to these unnecessary checkpoints. A recent experience by a NewdayReporters journalist corroborated these claims.
Our journalist traveled from Awka to Amawbia and back via the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and observed the plight of road users firsthand. On a short stretch of road less than 4 kilometers, the journalist encountered three checkpoints, forcing drivers to frequently brake and pay bribes, significantly cutting into their income.
Despite the level of insecurity in the region that ostensibly justifies these checkpoints, the behavior of the police exacerbates the situation. For instance, at the Ngozika axis between Udoka and Amawbia flyover, the journalist encountered a significant traffic jam at a mobile police checkpoint.
After waiting over 30 minutes, it became apparent that no searches were being conducted; instead, police officers were merely collecting money from each vehicle before allowing them to proceed.
Commuters expressed their frustration to NewdayReporters, detailing their daily struggles. Prof. Godwin, a private road user, specifically criticized a police-caused gridlock opposite the NNPC filling station, which is a daily occurrence due to police extortion.
He noted the poor location of this checkpoint, situated on a hill, which poses a risk of accidents, including potential tanker accidents that could result in fires. He also pointed out the ineffectiveness of these checkpoints, stating that no criminal arrests have been reported there.
Prof. Onu also criticized the checkpoints at the Mopol base in Awka and Amansea along both the old road and the expressway. He mentioned that when the Deputy Governor criticized these checkpoints, the Governor warned him, implying that the Governor is responsible for the current situation.
This, according to Onu, casts the administration in a negative light and makes the citizens feel subjugated, while elected officials remain silent as their convoys are allowed to pass through without obstruction.
This situation raises several questions about the effectiveness of the security tactics employed by agents in tackling insecurity in Anambra and the South East as a whole.
Many believe that there must be better methods to address the insecurity than the current roadblocks, which seem punitive.
It remains to be seen how the government in Anambra and other South East states will respond to this predicament in order to alleviate the suffering of road users in the region.
