By Ikenna Asomba

Despite the order given by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba, charging all commissioners of police across the country to ensure strict compliance with the ban on police roadblocks, Vanguard, gathered Sunday, that some policemen in the Lagos State Police Command were still flouting this order, as in recent times, illegal checkpoints have been resurfacing across major roads in the metropolis.

Abba had on Sunday, September 21, 2014, in a statement issued by Emmanuel Ojukwu, the Force spokesman said a situation where police officers and commands constantly violate the subsisting order forbidding mounting of checkpoints across the country is wrong and will be punishable, henceforth.

Similarly, the Lagos State police commissioner, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, had on Friday, October 21, 2014, during a working visit to the Area A Police command, Lion Building, Lagos Island, also warned officers and men of the command against harassment of members of the public and mounting of roadblocks.

Aderanti who gave this order while he was hosted by the Area Commander, Mr. Imohinmi Edgal, Assistant Commissioner of Police, urged his men to device all means to earn public trust, warning that anyone who fails to change his ways will be shown the way out of the Nigeria Police Force.

Fully loaded articulated truck

Owing to the flouting of the IGP’s order, it was gathered that, save for mother luck, Mrs. Martina Nwizu, her son and four other occupants of a Nissan Quest Sports Utility Van, SUV, with number plate LAGOS KJA.746CX, as well as Mr. Anthony Ajeh, a Toyota Corolla driver with number plate LAGOS ME 436.AAA, would have been dead, when a fully-loaded articulated truck rammed into their vehicles, Sunday, at Otto Woff Bus-stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

Vanguard gathered that the accident occurred at 3.30pm, as a result of the uncoordinated flagging-down of vehicles by some policemen from the Kirikiri Police Station, who mounted a road-block on that portion of the road.

While Nwizu and the occupants of her car were said to be heading to their house at Berger Suya, area of Ajegunle, from Christmas holiday spent in their village at Umuoji, Idemili North Local Government of Anambra State, Ajeh, was said to be coming from Ilupeju, and heading to the family house at Kirikiri area also in Ajegunle.

Vanguard learnt that the policemen had flagged-down Nwizu’s car driven by her son, and at the same time flagged-down Ajeh’s Toyota Corolla, to request their vehicle particulars and other documents.

In the process, the fully loaded truck with number plate LAGOS KJA.92KG was also flagged-down by the policemen.

The truck driver simply identified as Hassan, was said not to have seen the policemen early enough, which left him with no choice than to ram into the vehicles.

Narrating what happened to Vanguard, Nwizu, who was full of thanks to God that no life was lost, said “We were coming all the way from our ancestral home in Umuoji, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. If anyone of us had died, what would people say, that we travelled these long miles from the east, only to be killed just close to our home here in Lagos.”

Nwizu explained that “The policeman flagged-down my son who was driving and he obeyed them. The policeman asked for the particulars of the vehicle which my son gave to him. He perused the particulars for several minutes over and over again. Then, he asked for drivers’ licence, which my son also gave to him.

“When he found no fault against us, he now said our vehicle is a tinted-glass and asked for the permit. My son gave him the paper and he said that it was only an application letter that my son showed him.

“We begged the policeman to allow us go home since we were coming from a very long trip from the village. We told him that our house is just at Berger Suya here, that he should allow us go. But he never did, instead, he took the vehicle papers back and forth, all in a bid to delay us. He said we know what to do. So, one of my sons in the car, gave him N500 but he refused to collect it, insisting that the money was too paltry.

“It was in that process that the truck driver who was coming towards us was also flagged-down by the same policeman, and in a bid to stop this accident happened.”

Giving his own account, Mr. Tony Ajeh, whose Toyota Corolla was badly hit from behind said: “I was just driving down to Kirikiri when a policeman flagged-down my vehicle, which I obeyed. As I stopped, I appealed to him to allow me steer clear the road, because it was dangerous to just park on a very-busy expressway like this. Before I could say anything, a truck from no where just rammed into my car.”

Thanking God that his children whom he had earlier dropped at Mazamaza were not in the car with him, Ajeh said: “I am coming from Ilupeju to my family house in Kirikiri town to see my relations when this occurred. But I am thankful to God that I was lucky to have gone to drop my children at Mazamaza before proceeding to Kirikiri.

“Had they been with me in the back seat of the car, which is now a write-off, something unfortunate would have happened to them. I am grateful to God.” he exclaimed.

At press time, the Divisional Crime Officer, DCO of the Police Station was said to have directed that the affected vehicles be towed to the Kirikiri Police Station, where the victims will be made to write statements.

Lawful routine checks

Meanwhile, reacting, the spokesman for the State Police Command, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, who disclosed that the Command will investigate the matter, however, explained that the policemen were only out on a lawful routine check.

Nwosu, who stated that the State police commissioner, Mr. Kayode Aderanti’s directive that officers and men of the command must desist from the harassment of members of the public, as well as extortion during the routine and smart checks, said: “The Command has been notified about the accident that occurred this (Sunday)afternoon at Otto Woff Bus-stop, along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. We will investigate the matter to ascertain what actually led to the accident.”

Speaking further, the command’s image-maker explained that in so far the duty of the police is to protect lives and properties of Lagosians, routine and smart checkpoints can never be wished away. From the information so far, our men were on that road for the usual routine check.