Policemen Defy IG’s Ban On Roadblocks In Lagos

In what could be considered as defiance, men of the Police Force are openly defying the orders of their Inspector-General, Alhaji Sulaiman Abba, banning personnel from the force from mounting roadblocks across the country.

Force spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, had announced that the IG had sent a directive to all commands and formations nationwide asking them to immediately dismantle “all semblances of police roadblocks and permanent checkpoints across the country.”

Ojukwu had, in a statement, quoted Abba as describing the re-emergence of roadblocks as a serious violation of a subsisting order on the matter and threatened severe sanctions on any police command, formation and personnel who violate the order.

Findings conducted by LEADERSHIP in Lagos revealed that officers of the force usually conduct the said road blocks on major highways in the city, thus subjecting motorists to long hours on the road.

While mounting the said roadblocks, they collect money ranging from N50 to N100 from commercial motorists before allowing them to pass.

On major road where the situation is very prevalent is Mile 12 -Ikorodu road where our correspondent counted five different road blocks on Monday night. It is the same situation along Oshodi to Apapa expressway

The situation has brought with it untold hardship on commuters who are forced to stay long on the road before they can get home.