C’River residents, motorists accuse police of extortion, command denies allegations

Residents and motorists in Calabar, Cross River State, have accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force of extortion at a checkpoint close to the Post Office complex, allegedly linked to the Atakpa Police Station.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday in Calabar, they alleged that officers block the road every evening and collect between N200, N500 and more from taxi and commercial bus drivers plying the highway to the popular Watt Market.

Some of the drivers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the collection had become a daily routine, especially during peak hours when commuters troop to Watt Market for trading, while other drivers are publicly harassed if they fail to comply.

“They block the road every evening. If you don’t pay N200 or N500, they will delay you or threaten to impound your vehicle,” one taxi driver said.

“It is worse for commercial buses going to Watt. They target us because they know we must carry people going back to Calabar South LGA. And they do this every evening. No conscience from them, especially on the hardship in this country,” he added.

Another motorist, Effiom Effiong, alleged that the practice had increased the cost of transportation, as drivers now factor the “settlements” into fares paid by passengers.

He decried the situation, saying the checkpoint causes unnecessary traffic and subjects commuters to harassment.

“The road is blocked every evening. It creates hold-up and the officers are only interested in collecting money, not security,” Effiong said.

One resident of the area who identified himself as Emmanuel Bassey said the checkpoint had become a spot for extortion, describing the “police officers as selfish, and full of greed.”

“These Police officers don’t have conscience. If they have conscience, they would know that the country is hard already and they should not add more burden on the masses. They are extorting money from drivers everyday. This is the highest form of greed. May God help us in this Calabar,” Bassey lamented.

The commuters and drivers called on the police hierarchy to dismantle the checkpoint or deploy officers who would focus on crime prevention rather than revenue collection.

The allegations come amid repeated warnings by the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo-Geoffrey Ordue, against extortion and unprofessional conduct by officers.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said in a phone conversation that the command did not condone extortion and urged members of the public to report any officer found wanting with evidence such as patrol vehicle number, time and location of the incident.

He said, “The command does not tolerate any form of extortion by members of Nigeria Police force in Cross River State. As such members of the public that have credible information to help us locate or pin down any extortion from any officer should report to us through the Police complaint Response line.

“We are committed to due process and professionalism. Any officer caught extorting members of the public will face disciplinary action,” he said.

The police spokesman also urged residents and motorists to channel complaints through official channels for prompt investigation, describing the state Commissioner of Police as a “principled man with discipline.”

“The State Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo-Geoffrey Ordue, is a very discipline man and part of his policy scheme centres on discipline and professional conduct from our men.

“Nobody should give anybody money. If any officer stops you from passing and they ask you for money. Just call or the complaint Response unit through the phone lines [+234 813 708 3052],” ASP Sunday Eitokpah added.