Leadership (Abuja)
Esther Eziashi
21 November 2008
Abuja — The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sir Mike Okiro, has arrested seven policemen for mounting illegal check points along the Lagos- Ibadan Express way.
The IGP, who made this known at the November monthly meeting held in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State yesterday , said the men were caught on Wednesday on his way from Lagos to Ado Ekiti.
The illegal check point was situated at the border of Ogun and Oyo State. Okiro directed the Force Secretary Udom Ekpudom to issue queries to the Commissioner of Police, Oyo and Ogun States over the misdemeanor of their men.
Relating the incident to a bewildered audience, Okiro explained that the men carried out the act by flagging down motorists, especially commercial vehicles, directing them to park by the road side and collecting money from them.
The police boss, in response to public outcry over police extortion at checkpoints, had declared checkpoints illegal with a mandate given to all police commissioners to stop the act henceforth except in Rivers State where it was permitted for security reasons.
The Lagos-Ibadan expressway scenario, he said, was funny as the policemen, who were busy extorting money from motorists did not know that he was the one in the Jeep parked a few metres away from the checkpoint.
After observing them for a few minutes, he said he came down along with his retinue of aides and moved towards the men who were still engrossed in the illegal act.
On sight and recognising him as the IG, the policemen took to their heels and fled into the bush, prompting him to order his aides to give them a chase.
Okiro added that he ordered that the policemen be given orderly room trial, and dismissed from the service if found guilty of flouting orders.
The guilty ones he added, would be brought before the law court and tried for corruption.
For failing to keep their men under check, the Commissioners of Police in Ogun and Oyo States were to pay for the sins of these men by receiving queries for the act of these policemen.
It would be recalled that the IGP at the September edition of the monthly meeting with the police high echelon, warned all Assistant Inspector Generals (AIG) and all Commissioners of Police, to keep watch over their men and prevent them from engaging in all illegal act.
He told them at the event then, that they would henceforth pay for the sins of their subordinates on issues relating to indiscipline.
The guns seized from the policemen were, however, returned to the commissioners at the closing ceremony of the meeting held in Ado Ekiti.
The IGP, thereafter, warned all present that the monitoring team set up at the Police Headquarters would take up the monitoring job more seriously and, that he would not spare any one caught in any act of corruption.
He warned the commissioners to keep an eye on their men as it relates to setting up of check point which he stated has been officially banned on Nigerian roads, saying that any state commissioner in whose domain policemen were caught on illegal duty, would pay for it dearly.
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