Black As Xmas As Compromised Nigerian Police Create More "Checkpoints"

The practice of improving scale of service, customer care (satisfaction) and 24 hours opening to all customers especially towards the end of the year does not leave the Nigeria Police out.
Mounting several roadblocks, the compromised Nigeria police under the putrid Inspector General Hafiz Ringim are way too open with self-serving business. It is a pity that one of his deputies, Mr.
Ganiyu Dawodu just lost his life in an Ikorodu Hotel with his female massager, who is also a police officer. I do not have to gloss words over this, I'm way too sure Nigerians are better analysts at situations like this.

Even in the face of rampant crime and armed robbery attacks that is climbing to ceiling top, the Nigeria police do as usual in their hallmark creating more roadblocks to extort innocent commuters. Also sensitive with the prevailing trend, the police have increased their initial roadblock tariff demand of N20 to N50 per bike and commercial buses, and N100 per taxis. Infarct, it is unfair to call most of these policemen stark illiterates because they have business senses; police now chat, smile and help their customers with directions. It is their way of showing Social responsibility. It is only the ones that prove stubborn that are frowned at.

Traveling through the Lagos-Benin road in a private car for instance, and stop after stop, the Police say ‘Hello. How was business today and hope you are enjoying your journey. Please drive safe o. we are here for you and you should also care about us…” This way, would you rather say they don’t treat their customers as kings? Or, if you prove stubborn and are prying to know how much of business ethics they understand by delaying to pay, he shows you the parking space with one of his fingers and orders you to ‘Park’. The next thing you observe is that he beckons one of his cronies to attend to your case because you prove special; “Area! Search that motor” and then he returns to his duty post to prospect more stubborn people leaving you for thorough
searching. You are now left to wonder; if armed robbers tip these policemen, since they are also out for money, will the police not assist them with how to have seamless operations?

The police had since breached the contract they have with us and defied our trust. They now serve the thieves because they are thieves themselves. It has become the norm to pay the police if you must go anywhere; your office, amusement parks, church, and of course, you pay to visit your hometown! Just as it is already the culture to be raped by our political rulers.

SPIKE OF ROADBLOCKS AT SANGO
At Sango Ota this December, robbers operated some banks and the best reaction Police gave it was to multiply roadblocks everywhere for the known reason of stopping vehicles to demand money. Since 3rd of December, Police roadblocks have been posted between every five to ten
electricity polls.

Immediately at the spot where Sango fly-over delivers vehicles from joju, policemen on this spot resume duty everyday at dusk. Here, they dance as they collect money while their preys also feign smiles as they submit their prepared N50 notes, and then hail; ‘oga mi, well done o’. Commercial transport operators have conceded that nothing could be done to face-off the police embarrassment and extortion and therefore have strongly accepted that they are defenseless as their motor union also wine and dine with the local divisions of the police.

Before now, employees of the roadside motor union pursued an agreement with the police after they complained of incessant molestations.

Hence, the motor union politely asked the police out of the road and demanded money on behalf of the police from the commercial road operators. They would demand in the order for the chairman of road operators, the vice, chief miscreants and of course, the police. Thus, it is asked; “OWO ATANDA, OWO SHOLA, OWO SANYA AT’ OWO OLOPA”, meaning the bus conductor should pay for the chairman of the road/motor union, his vice, chief miscreant in that domain and the police.

However, as it turned out that the returns given the police by the road union does not seem to compare with what they would realize if they were physically at work themselves, the police therefore laid siege on the roads again. Recently, during curfew declared at Sango as a result of the fracas between factions in the road/motor union, the Policemen deployed to the area to coordinate movement and arrest the riot took it for an opportunity to milk both pedestrians and motor operators to the bones. Since their return to roads in December, cost of transport has been given a ladder to sky point.

LESS THAN ONE MINUTE DRIVE AND HERE’S ANOTHER ROADBLOCK AT THE DEFUNCT
GATEWAY HOTEL, OTA
In what is less than a minute drive from this spot at Sango, another road traffic is encountered at opposite of the defunct Gateway Hotel, courtesy of another roadblock. Here, the police have no business with time. Unlike their Sango Bridge counterparts who resume operation in the evening; these ones have a 24 hours open shop ‘service’. Also unlike Sango Police, these ones don’t dance or laugh with their preys; they frown for business and are available all day. They have deep passion for their jobs and believe in ‘no padi for jungle’. From what I see here everyday, no argument will ever be entertained and any attempt for such may cause the subject to face the road police firing squad.

ONLY FIVE ELECTRICITY POLLS AND HERE’S ANOTHER ROADBLCOK
The Toll gate which parts Ogun State from Lagos is back and fully functional with the police, doing their business as usual. Here, the market is segmented to target big vans from companies, trucks and vehicles with any kind of loads. The policemen deployed here seem to eat the fattest bones because their fees are higher than those of Sango and Gateway Hotel. They stop trucks and bill them high.

ROADBLOCK AT ANSAR-UD-DEEN COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE, OTA
Can I invite you to cruise with me towards Obasanjo Farm, Ota? After the Sango fly-over, driving five minutes and we are at a junction facing Allover Central Polytechnic and Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive College, Ota. Policemen here were deployed specifically to answer rising bank robbery in Ota. Instead of facing the job however, they face their guns at commuters and force them to pay at every journey.

At this spot within only 48 hours, the police have caused accidents, one in which a container truck ran over the demarcating concrete as a result of police obstruction. The truck stood there for hours and no concern is shown to remove it and the police continued their business as though it was normal.

POLICE ASSIGNING NUMBERS TO PAYING COMMUTERS AT IGANMODE, OJU-ORE
Few electricity polls after this spot is Oju-Ore, and right in the front of Iganmode grammar school, policemen have another office for the same business. You’d love the practice here; they issue payment numbers for each of three sessions a day. In the morning, they give numbers as commuters pay their ways. The system changes in the afternoon and they may use names of fruits. So, when it’s your turn to pass, you’ll here ‘Yes?’, and you either pay or if you have paid
earlier, you tell your number or other codes assigned to you. On one occasion, the cab I took wanted to play a fast one on them and so he said ‘Number five’. The policeman said “Park my friend. You are a big thief. We haven’t given any number this afternoon, we use names of
places. People like you will spoil this country o.” the driver was delayed and made to pay double of the illegal money. After he paid, they gave him a new code ‘Ibadan’. So, in his next encounter for that afternoon, he would say ‘Ibadan’ to avoid paying again.

THE POLICE IS ONLY A MARIONETTE OF THE ROTTEN GOVERNMENT
Since the quickest window to look through the putrid administration of government is the type of men used to combat crime and the general corrupt practices that have taken down the political effigy, it is therefore not figurative to state emphatically that this government has failed Nigerians in its acclaimed of fighting corruption. To whom do we report; the government that is corrupt and rotten itself, the compromised judiciary or the leadership of the police?

THE WORKING RECIPE IS JUNGLE JUSTICE
The only solution I have ever experienced is open revolt against inhumane treatment of the people such as mass protest against anti-people policies of government, disturbance of the day-to-day workflow operations of despotic government agencies, ribald criticism of autocratic ruling and general revolts, revolts and revolts. Since government is about the people and government seems to be anti-people, people can throw them all out through the only language government seems to understand; violence. Spectacular demonstration is the only valid way to get government to listen to us in Nigeria. If it worked for the MEND and militants, it seems to be getting attention for the selfish Boko Haram sect, it will work well for the larger people of
Nigerian Citizens.

OPEN REVOLTS AGAINST POLICE I WITNESSED –AGBADO CROSSING
I witnessed some open revolts against the police of recent and it worked like charms. One happened at Agbado Crossing last year, where a policeman reportedly maltreated a commercial bike operator who happens to be famous among the rest because he refused to pay N20. The
following evening, the victim arranged for others to beat up the police to pulp which resulted in big fracas between the police and the bike operators. For another two months that I visited the area, police did not stop at the spot to take bribe.

TRAILERS-TRUCKS ALSO SHOW THEM PEPPER
Infuriated company truck drivers who have targets to meet and had been milked to the bones by police officers they encountered earlier on their journey also have my thumbs up! Some of them have been reported to hit policemen and run away.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH POLICE
I also recollect my first brutal experience with the police when the construction of Sango fly-over began around 2007. The policemen deployed to control traffic flow took the opportunity to extort
innocent bike operators and I was taking snapshots of their activities. One of them sighted me and it resulted into big mess. I was taken to the Sango police station where I slugged it out with
them. They asked me whose errand I was doing to be recording them on duty and I snarled response at them that ‘I am a concerned citizen and could not bear the cheat and rape on organized civilians.’ They were shocked that a ‘small boy’ could challenge them and for another two weeks that I repeated visit to Sango Ota after that experience, I noticed they did not come back to the spot.

IT IS A MATTER OF ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’
If it is true that legitimacy lies with the people and if government or democracy is about the people, people should expectedly be the subject for determining what prevails in the society. If the people want a stop to the police rape and government anti-human policies and practices, then the people should stand up for what they want. If government has failed, ‘the people’ is the answer that is left. It is by open demonstrations and if it will result to war, then war is the
same way the early Israelites gained freedom from Pharaoh’s oppressions. No known freedom came on the platter of gold – all came through a radical demand for change. It’s time Nigerians understood that if peaceful negotiations have failed, people must resort to violent struggle. Obasanjo also noticed that Arab Spring may ensue in Nigeria. Enough is enough!