Dismantle Police Road Blocks in South-East
President Muhammad Buhari has been urged to direct the Inspector-General of Police (IG), to remove road blocks mounted by his security men on South East roads.
The Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Foundation (HURIJE), in a joint statement called on the President to order for immediate dismantling of all road blocks in the South East which have become haven for corruption, extortion and intimidation.
The statement signed by Dede Uzor A Uzor, chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of HURIJE and national publicity secretary of CD, said there were not less than hundred road blocks mounted by the Police in different roads in South East.
They said from Onitsha to Owerri, there are about 25 road blocks, Enugu-Port-Hacourt, 28, Enugu -Owerri, 16, Onitsha-Enugu, 24, Onitsha -Orlu, 18 among others.
The group said while the Police give the checkmating of criminals as reason for mounting these road blocks, it has become clear that the road blocks have become “oil well” for Police authority, their officers and men.
” They do not provide the expected security again. They have grossly abused road blocks. Road blocks have outlived their usefulness. They should be scrapped and dismantled immediately. Why is it that it is only in the South East that the Police mount larger chunk of their road blocks. You don’t see much of Police road blocks in the North and West.But here they use it to make money” said the groups.
They however lauded the President for dismantling the Army road blocks in various parts of the South East, which subjected travelers within the zone to untold hardship especially on Onitsha/Enugu high ways.
The groups said the removal of military road blocks have brought reliefs to the people of the zone, especially travelers.
In a related development, the right groups have also urged the President not to extend the tenure of the present IG.
They said extension of his tenure will kill morale in the Force as it will stuck the promotion of some officers who are due for that.
But beyond this, said the groups, the present IG has not done well to deserve the extension, he has been lobbying for, saying that he should go by February 2019 to give way for bright and younger officers to come on board,the group maintained.
