A man identified as Andeyaba Ezekiel has narrated how a police officer threatened to kill him at a checkpoint in Edo State over N500.
Ezekiel narrated that he was on his way to Jalingo, Taraba State to deliver a newly purchased car that was cleared by the Nigeria Custom Service but was stopped and the officer demanded N500 but he told him that he can only part ways with N200 as he also had other checkpoints to settle before he reaches his destination.
The police insisted that it must be N500 and kept the cars at the checkpoint, when Ezekiel tried to calm other motorist down over the heightened tension, the police officer took offence and threatened to shoot him as ‘nothing will happen.’
Read the story below;
‘Police personnel resume molestation, extortion, harassment and brutality on the highways. On 25/11/2020, at Okada checkpoint, Edo state, One inspector ran his finger into my mouth, threatened to shoot me dead and that NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. @PoliceNG @PoliceNG_CRU, @aitkakaaki
I was driving in newly purchased unregistered used car that was duly cleared by the NCS, the inspector (all or the policemen covered their name tags) insisted that I gave him N500 and I said I can only give him N200 because there are more police checkpoints on my way to Jalingo
he refused, insisting I gave him N500.
He kept us there for more than 20 minutes, I walked up to him, pleaded with him, told his of my respect to him as a policemen working under the hot sun for our safety, but that he should consider how far I was going and kindly accept the N200 but he said he would not let me go. By now, about 10 other vehicles; tokunbos, ones with loads had been parked with the same demand for N500. Those that paid were let go, our appeals for review to N200 fell to their deaf ears. This angered of one us that said it’s like another #EndSARS protest will be called so that police would not be on the highways again.
The inspector threatened to kill the man, I intervened and calm the man down, but drew the ire of the inspector when I said its the bad eggs in the police that make the citizens hate the Nigeria police, claiming I was referring to him as a bad egg in the police, How? I asked and he left the other guy, cocked his gun and ran his finger into my mouth saying he would kill me for referring to him as a bad egg in the police and nothing would happen.
I said I did not call him a bad egg and that he does not have any ground to kill me with the gun he was issued to protect an innocent me. I was so pained by this, I walked up to another inspector who was attending to another motorist, heard him loud and clear saying ‘we will do something that will shock the whole world’ God! I retreated back to the car and waited, after 1 hour, another police officer in the T-shirt came to me, collected the N200 and let me go. @PoliceNG is at war with hapless innocent citizens. SAD!’
Meanwhile, the police were contacted and they said the case will be handled by the authority.
