Lagos — Commuter bus operators, motorists and the public cry foul as police and agents resort to extortion instead of fighting crime

Commuter bus operators in the Lagos metropolis are currently angry with the police in the state over what they described as arbitrary exploitation and wanton arrests of their colleagues. And as it were, they are not concealing their grievances. The drivers claimed the police pretend to be on the trail of criminals while they stop and extort money from them. P.M.News Motoring investigations, to some extent, affirmed this act as we noticed lately that there has been increasing presence of police on the roads. Although the continued presence of the police on most roads could not be immediately explained, we gathered that the fracas that ensued between the Oodua Peoples Congress and the Hausa/Fulani community early last year explains why government has been reluctant in withdrawing the cops who were lately, reinforced by a joint patrol of military personnel.

P.M. News Motoring observed that at day time, only owners of private vehicles are searched while at night, it is the turn of the commercial motorists. We equally noticed that the police patrol team upon stopping the commercial vehicles, especially buses, the conductors (mates), who usually are those that prove stubborn, may end up parting with N20, though neatly wrapped and smartly tucked in the hands of the recipient.

Jelili, a danfo driver who plies Iju-Agege-Ikeja told P.M. News Motoring that "since it has become the habit of the cops to extort money from us, we' ve as well include them in our daily expenses, even though we give them reluctantly," the driver said.

Speaking in the same vein, a bus driver who preferred anonymity said the habit is fast getting out of hand and would want relevant authorities to caution the police. That is not all. A bus conductor who was recently horse-whipped by a combined team of police and the military at Ijaiye/Ojokoro area lamented that the trend might spark off a 'bloody' reaction if it is not promptly checked. He however, reminisced how he and his driver were dispossessed of N500 on the fateful night and thereafter, subjected to thorough beating. If the impending extortion of money from innocent commuter bus operators in the Lagos metropolis evokes sympathy, then the unfolding scenario in some parts of the country could send shivers down the spine.

Sometime in September last year, a police corporal at Eyenkorin, a suburb in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, killed a commercial vehicle driver, his sergeant colleague and thereafter, himself over N150 bribe. The corporal was said to have flared up after the driver refused to increase the bribe demanded while he shot his sergeant colleague for refusing to support his dastardly act.

Similarly, some policemen, a couple of weeks ago, reportedly snatched N1.4 million from some Katstina-bound cattle traders at Okengwen, Obehira junction, Okene, Kogi State and thereafter ordered the traders to enter the bus before setting it ablaze, but unknown to them, two of the traders who escaped in the ensuing melee had reported the inhuman act to the Okene police station. The cops who had already shared their loot have since been apprehended.

Suffice to say that corruption in the force is fast becoming an endemic syndrome. Former Police Affairs Minister, General David Jemibewon (retd) attested to this. He blamed the decadence in the force on long years of military rule during which time, the force was neglected, thus lowering the morale of personnel.

Jemibewon said with the lifting of the ban on employment and government's approval for recruitment of 40,000 fresh hands annually for the next three years, the force would improve as it has already recruited 35, 874 hands.

Meanwhile, Lagos Police boss, Mr. Mike Okiro has said a directive from above, recently ordered that a list of corrupt policemen be compiled. The list is to state clearly names of corrupt officers, nature of their offences, date of commission, place and types of punishment meted out to them. Moreso, names of police personnel who extort money from people are to be forwarded to the authorities for prompt action.