THE festive period is special for the police. It shows in the number of roadblocks mounted to extort money and cause further inconveniences for road users.With roads that are in their worst state for years, vehicles that appear taken straight from junk yards, and the impatience that flows with the season, the number of deaths on the roads this year may rise, especially if the police stick to their practice of block roads, usually to extort money from travellers.

Those who are unwilling to pay, or hesitate are shot, and branded armed robbers. Everything becomes contraband at this time. Goods cleared at the ports, duties paid, documents intact cannot pass the hundreds of checkpoints without payments to the police. The passion suggests an official approval of extortion.

Before last August 20 when multiple accidents and deaths on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway occurred at a police checkpoint, there have been other deaths in similar circumstances. The police did nothing, except to deny its involvement. President Goodluck Jonathan condoled the families and promised an investigation – it was only a promise!

Such presidential laxity emboldens the police.
Last June 1, at the Obosi end of the Onitsha-OwerriRoad, 20 people died from another accident at a police checkpoint.  Officially, checkpoints were banned in 2005. Every new regime at police headquarters restates the ban.

Checkpoints are critical to the police as revenue centres. Their high numbers have not stopped armed robbers and kidnappers particularly in the South East where checkpoints litter the roads like decorations. Some are less than 200 metres from the other. Roads like Owerri – Mbaise and Onitsha – Owerri have more than 30 police checkpoints each. During festivities, the numbers increase.

Human Rights Watch, HRW, in an August report said the police extorted N20.35 billion between January 2009 and June this year at checkpoints. The breakdown was South East N9.35 billion, South-South N4 billion, South-West N4 billion, North Central and Abuja , N2 billion, North East and North West N500 million each. The police dismissed the report as “embellished innuendoes and suggestive graphics aimed at reaching a preconceived conclusion”.

The South East where the bulk of the traffic heads during Christmas generated almost half of the revenue. Things will get worse unless the authorities intervene.

Hafix Ringim, Inspector General of Police, should call his men to order. Their lawful mandate is to protect Nigerians.  To check deaths and extortions, checkpoints must go: they can be mounted to check fleeing criminals, not as death points for innocent Nigerians. They should not add to the burden the bad roads already constitute.

The President has a primary responsibility for the welfare and security of our people. The Constitution expects him to save Nigerians from the police, and anything that threatens the well-being of Nigerians. It is no longer enough to condole families after the police waste lives.