Residents and motorists in Calabar, Cross River State, have accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force of extorting money from drivers at a checkpoint near the popular Post Office complex, with several people alleging the practice occurs daily during evening hours.
Multiple residents who spoke to a correspondent on Tuesday alleged that policemen from Atakpa Police Station block the road each evening and collect between N200 and N500 from private motorists, with higher amounts allegedly demanded from taxi and commercial bus drivers travelling the route to Watt Market.
Drivers who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of being identified by the officers, said the collections have become routine, particularly during peak hours when commuters head to Watt Market to trade. They said drivers who refuse to pay are delayed or threatened with vehicle impoundment.
One taxi driver said, “They block the road every evening. If you don’t pay N200 or N500, they will delay you or threaten to impound your vehicle. It is worse for commercial buses going to Watt. They target us because they know we must take people going back to Calabar South. And they do this every evening. They have no conscience, especially considering the hardship in this country.”
A motorist identified as Effiom Effiong alleged that the practice has driven up transportation costs, as drivers factor the payments into passenger fares. “The road is blocked every evening. It creates traffic hold-up and the officers are only interested in collecting money, not security,” he said.
A resident identified as Emmanuel Bassey described the checkpoint as a site of extortion and called the officers involved “selfish, and full of greed.” He said, “The police officers don’t have conscience. If they have conscience, they would not add more burden on the masses. They are extorting money from anybody that drives pass this route every day. Only God will help us in Calabar.”
Commuters and drivers have called on police leadership to dismantle the checkpoint or replace the officers stationed there with personnel focused on crime prevention rather than what they describe as money collection.
The allegations surface despite repeated public warnings from the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo-Geoffrey Ordue, against extortion and unprofessional conduct among officers.
Responding to the allegations, the Police Public Relations Officer for the command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said the force does not tolerate extortion and urged members of the public to submit reports backed by evidence, including the patrol vehicle number, and the time and location of any incident.
“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 policeman engaging in extortion should report to us through the Police Complaint Response line,” Eitokpah said. “We are committed to due process and professionalism. Any officer caught extorting money from members of the public will face disciplinary action.”
Eitokpah also described the state Commissioner of Police as “a very discipline man” whose policy emphasizes discipline and professional conduct among officers. “Nobody should give anybody money. If any officer stops you from passing and asks you for money. Just call the Complaint Response Unit through the phone line +2348137083052, and make a report,” he said.
No officers have been named or charged in connection with the allegations, and the police command has framed its response as an invitation for the public to submit verifiable complaints through official channels for investigation. As of this report, it remains unclear whether any formal probe into the Atakpa checkpoint has been opened.
Source: The Punch
