The shameful checkpoint bribe collection culture of the Nigerian Police claimed another life on Saturday in Akwa Ibom State.
The shameful checkpoint bribe collection culture of the Nigerian Police claimed another life on Saturday in Akwa Ibom State.
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Divine Asubob, a 32-year old oil worker at the Qua Iboe oil fields operated by ExxonMobil in Nigeria, was crushed to death at a police check point in Esit Eket local government.
SaharaReporters learnt that the deceased, who was riding a motorbike, met his untimely death when he was flagged down by policemen at the check point and was then hit from the rear by a truck.
Witnesses said the policemen, knowing what they had done, and desperate to forestall reprisals from the community, hurriedly abandoned the check point and returned to the Esit Eket Police station.
They offered no help to the victim, who died on the spot in a pool of his own blood. His body was at the scene of the incident for three hours before it was evacuated to the morgue of the Immanuel General Hospital, Eket.
Family sources revealed that the deceased, a technician with Petrostuff Nig. Ltd, supported his siblings and his mother, a civil servant whose wages are usually several months behind schedule. He was on his annual vacation.
Commenting, a family source said, “Divine took his leave to complete his house project only to die carelessly due to the N20 syndrome of policemen and now they have run away and left him in a pool of his own blood. This incident is a very sad development, it has thrown the entire community into mourning and was caused by the corrupt practices of Policemen who extort N20 at every check point, look at the pains N20 has caused the family.”
As Christmas approaches, policemen of the Akwa Ibom command have stepped up the number of illegal toll gates to increase their takings and facilitate the extortion of defenceless Nigerians.
“The community will not accept this and we shall ensure that justice is done,” Emmanuel Ikot said.
“Something has to be done to check this recklessness.”
At the time of filing this report, the police authorities at Esit Eket Division were keeping mum about the incident. The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Mr Solomon Arase, did not answer calls to his official cell phone number.
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