The Benue State Police Command has advised motorists plying the Gboko-Zaki Biam Road and other routes to report any officer extorting them to the Commissioner of Police.
Motorists had recently in Benue State accused police and military personnel of allegedly extorting commercial drivers at multiple checkpoints along Gboko-Zaki Biam Road despite the deplorable condition of the road.
The drivers alleged that security operatives stationed along the route demanded between N200 and N1,000 from vehicles, describing the practice as a daily burden on commercial transport operators.
However, speaking with LEADERSHIP on Saturday over the alleged extortion, the State Command’s spokesperson, DSP Peter Orchia Aondongu, while urging motorists not to waste time in reporting erring officers said the Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, is highly against corruption and harassment of civilians.
Aondongu said, “The commissioner of police is highly against corruption and harassment of civilians. Motorists should report any erring police officer who engages in corrupt practices on the highway to the Benue State commissioner of police through the PPRO’s office.
“The Command lines are there for people to report any officer misbehaving on the road. Motorists should report any officer extorting them on the highway,” he stated.
Our correspondent who had travelled along the Gboko-Zaki Biam Road recently observed police and military personnel at checkpoints collecting money from commercial drivers at successive roadblocks.
The allegations persist despite a recent directive by the Benue State Police Command ordering the immediate dismantling of all illegal checkpoints and roadblocks across the state.
