CORRUPT: 36 policemen
face the music for extorting money from motorists
By CHRISTOPHER OJI & JULIANA FRANCIS
Thursday, July 1, 2004
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•Cross-section
of the arrested policemen
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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Like the Biblical thief in the night, the Lagos State Commissioner
of Police, Mr. Israel Ajao, took men and officers in his Command
by surprise recently when he swooped on them and arrested
those who engaged in extortion.
Ajao, during his tour of the eight area commands under his
supervision, had warned against corruption, especially illegal
check points by policemen, who collect N20 notes.
"I must start arresting you people who have been bringing
shame to Nigeria Police. I will come like death, which no
one knows the hour of its visit. I may start it immediately
I finish my tour,” Ajao had said.
True to his words, Ajao, immediately after the tour, arrested
36 policemen, one civilian and three Federal Road Safety Corps
personnel, over extortion.
Parading the men who were picked up from various locations
in Lagos, he said they were caught extorting money from motorists
and members of the public, adding that the arrests were made
in consonance with the IG’s efforts to fight corruption
among the rank and file.
According to him, N23,320.00 in N20 and N10 notes, was found
on those arrested.
Ajao vowed: "I will not waste time in dismissing any
erring policeman who is found guilty of any misdemeanour,
especially, collection of N20 notes. The people you are collecting
this money from are conductors and drivers, who you intimidate
with gun. They weep in their hearts, while squeezing out this
money. These are people who put on tattered clothes and slippers;
very wretched people give their hard-earned money to you,
meaning that you are cursed, because you are collecting wretched
money."
He warned them to desist from intimidating and collecting
N20 notes from drivers and conductors, adding, "most
of you rank and file have put in five to 20 years in the force.
So be conscious of what you will suffer when you are caught.
You will lose your job, entitlement, pension and gratuity.
After losing all these, you will face proper prosecution and
you will suffer. Most of you have extended families that depend
on you."
He said the most annoying thing was that the police, in the
process, shoot indiscriminately, thereby killing innocent
people.
"If you don’t cock your gun, it does not shoot.
Stop this killing of innocent people. Even if you are chasing
armed robbers, and you notice that stray bullet can hit any
innocent victim, don’t shoot. Allow the robbers to go
because, it is better for one million armed robbers to escape,
than for one innocent soul to be killed by stray bullet. If
you fault this order, you will be made to face the music,"
he said.
He lamented that after the warning, some of them would still
collect N20 notes and do other illegal things.
"I will surprise such people from this moment. So be
on your guard at all times, because I will catch you like
death which you cannot predict the hour."
One of them from Federal Road Safety Commission Raymond Ukah,
who was weeping like a baby, said it was one of his boys that
put him into trouble. "I did not know that he had collected
bribe and the N100 note that he collected was a police marked
money. See what he has done to me. I was a teacher for 18
years, before I joined Road Safety in 1996."
Another one, a Mobile Police Inspector Nwado Alphaeus, claimed
that there was nothing incriminating found on him, adding
that the Monitoring Unit only said that he and his boys were
on illegal duty at Ketu area.
"We were only controlling traffic. We were on patrol
when we noticed traffic jam and we decided to control the
situation. But if they want to punish me, let them do so.
I have accepted it as my fate."
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