Policemen controlling traffic, maintaining peace, says DPO
Motorists plying Aswani/Osolo road in Oshodi have called for intervention of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, over alleged police extortion on the route.
The motorists, which include: commercial bus drivers (Danfo), and tricyclists, popularly known as Keke Marwa and Korope (minibus) drivers, told The Guardian that the extortion is carried out, along the road, by policemen at checkpoints in front of Aswani market, and Emzor pharmaceuticals.
At these spots, about four policemen collect money from drivers, while uncooperative ones are delayed or arrested for trumped-up charges, including driving against traffic.
A driver, who identified himself as Abayomi Oriowo, said the police officers along the route were taking advantage of the bad road on the axis to exploit them, and forgetting their primary assignment
“All that 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 be settling policemen with over N700 for each commercial vehicle?” he asked.
Another driver, Wale, who also shared a similar experience on the road, urged Lagos State Commissioner of Police to set up a committee of independent investigators to verify their claims against those officers on the route.
A tricyclist, who pleaded anonymity, said the police officers are always there from 6:30 a.m. in the morning.
According to him, they always request each driver to pay N200 and by 2:00 p.m., another set of policemen will come to ask for another money in the afternoon.
“Many times if I haven’t made enough money in the morning to give them, they will ask me to park my tricycle beside the road and delay me for between 20 to 30 minutes,” he lamented.
When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Aswani Police Station, Superintendent of Police (SP) Adeleke Ojajuni, said he is not aware of extortion by his men on the route.
Ojajuni noted that policemen are posted in the two strategic locations to control traffic and maintain peace on that road.
He added that he would start to monitor the police officers on the route very closely and find a strategic way to make sure nothing of such will happen there henceforth.
He said: “I have two strategic places I posted my men on that route, any time the Ladipo market traders close, the road is always extra busy, and there is a lot of traffic, on the route. So, I post my men there to control traffic and maintain peace.
“I am not aware of extortion by my men, and I will not allow such to exist. Now that my attention has been drawn to this. I am going to tighten my belt and will be monitoring them. Any police officer that is caught in such an act will face the consequence of his or her action.”
