Motorists report extortion and vehicle damage in Uyo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Leadership
Motorists and transport operators in Uyo report extortion, violence and vehicle damage during police checks in the capital of Akwa Ibom State. The heavy security presence is intended to contain crime but leaves several rural areas inadequately monitored, reports Leadership.
Motorists and minibus, taxi and tricycle drivers are reporting extortion and damage to vehicles in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. They say police officers at checkpoints demand money and threaten to mark vehicles for vandalism, according to Nigerian daily Leadership.
A minibus driver said at least eight checkpoints come one after another on the route between Ibom Plaza and Abak, a journey he estimates takes about 10 minutes. The number of checkpoints could reach 15, according to his testimony. A spare-parts trader also says he has to pay at every checkpoint, whether his documents are in order or not.
The state police commissioner, Baba Azare, described the increased deployment of security forces in Uyo as necessary to keep criminals at bay. A former police officer, quoted anonymously by Leadership, estimates that the state has about 4,000 police officers, most of them concentrated in the capital, leaving the other 30 local government areas inadequately monitored. Residents say armed robberies, kidnappings and criminal group activity have declined, but offences persist in less closely monitored communities.
