Group condemns multiple checkpoints on South East highways

By Omolade Adegbuyi

Mutiple military and police checkpoints on South East highways are frustrating business and livelihood in the region, Oganihu Igbo Development Foundation has said.

The group is noted for the defence and promotion of the socio-economic and political interest of the South-East region.

It said the security officials grossly violate the rights of citizens fuelling insecurity.

The group’s leader, Uzodinmma Nwaogbe called on the Federal Government and its relevant authorities to do away with the security checkpoints and immediately stop the unwarranted criminal extortions, harassment, prolonged detentions, torture and in some cases extra-judicial killings of citizens of the South East and other road users who have one business or the other to do in the region.

For years, individuals and groups of the South East region have wailed and complained over the unlawfully coordinated attacks and other human rights violations by members of Nigeria’s security forces on citizens of the region. They deliberately and maliciously create unnecessary security checkpoints, establish torture chambers with no other reason but to extort, humiliate and intimidate the people of the region.

There are all manner of security checkpoints in and around every road in the region. The Military, Police, Customs, NDLEA, FRSC, VIO, etc. have taken over the roads ostensibly to harass and extort the people.

The South East region appears like a military or police zone; a conquered territory. The security roadblocks are not ostensibly to guarantee the security of lives and property of citizens but to extort the people of the region, cause them pains, dehumanization and deliberate assault and abuse of their fundamental human rights.

The law abiding people of the region dully recognize the legitimate responsibility of Security Agencies to protect lives, prevent crime, and maintain public safety, particularly in a region that has suffered kidnappings, armed attacks, and other serious security challenges. But the abuse and assault on innocent citizens of the region by all the security forces are the height of callousness and, it is unacceptable.

Reports of multiple road blocks and their danger to the lives and well-being of the people are not new or confined to a particular security organization. Almost every traveller on the South East roads, traders, transporters, farmers, media and civil society members have cried out about stressful experiences at these numerous roadblocks in the hands of various security agencies. Yet, the federal government that owns most of the security forces seems unable to act on these complaints.

There have been instances of luxury buses loaded with passengers that are forced to park and all passengers made to disembark and made to walk long metres to reconnect with their buses in front. This is a form of humiliation and torture.

There have been several accounts of the degrading treatment meted out to road users. Young boys and girls, students, are usually the targets of these security agents. Boys with dreadlocks or dyed hair are visited with anger, harassment and beatings. Some of these youths have had to part with huge sums of money while the females are assaulted.

No doubt, the multiple road blocks and their accompanying extortions have increased transportation costs and ultimately contributing to higher food and other essential commodity prices in the country.

Several orders from every newly appointed Inspectors General of Police that roadblocks mounted without authorization should be dismantled fall on deaf ears.

It is regrettable that, the present Police leadership has similarly emphasized on professionalism, accountability, discipline, intelligence-driven policing and stronger supervision of field work. But the reverse is the case giving the reality of the situation, especially in the South East.

It is time for the IGP and other heads of the Armed Forces operating in the south east region to conduct an immediate audit of the various checkpoints scattered across the region.

Between Enugu – Onitsha – Owerri road, Owerri-Umuahia, Okigwe -Owerri, Ihiala-Mbano-Umuahi, Enugu-Okigwe-Aba, and others, one could count above hundred checkpoints of different security agencies. The Military and Police are most conspicuous. But this is not applicable in other regions of Nigeria. Why it is so in Igbo land, cannot be explained. Is it because they were defeated in the civil war? Is the war still on by other means?

The Governors of the five South Eastern states have a lot of contributions to make in ensuring that unauthorized checkpoints are immediately discouraged. They have a duty to enforce the protection of lives of their citizens. It is their number one duty as elected Executive Governors of their states.

Law abiding citizens cannot be subjected to torture, dehumanization and abuse by state paid security agents. Citizens must have their constitutional rights to dignity and and freedom of movement. It does not end at a checkpoint.

The people of the South East region are particularly worried and disturbed at the alarming rate of concentration of all security forces on their roads unlike other regions. It is only in the South East that one finds the roads jam-packed with security men on every 200 metres stretch.

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Security Chiefs have the urgent duty to act immediately to dismantle the numerous unauthorized checkpoints in the South East region. This is to assure the people of the region that, they are not discriminated against or are lesser Nigerians.