Opinion
Police And Their Check Points
Check points also known as security duty posts are usually set up to ensure the safety of lives and property of the people at strategic points along the roads.
Ever before now there have been checkpoints to monitor the activities of the hoodlums who attack the public and other road users doing their various businesses.
Normally the duties of the police include those of maintenance of peace, law and order as well as security of lives and individual property.
In order to maintain peace and ensure safety of lives and individual property, the police duties became obvious to be carried out.
As far back as 1999 or there about, when the almighty term, “militant and militancy started; government introduced and set up a Joint Military Task Force (JMTF) made up of both the Army, Navy, Police and the Airforce to tackle the menace of the militants and all other activities of the hoodlums at various checkpoints and security formations.
This action of the government was to ensure peace, law and order as well as security of lives and property of the people.
Sequel to that period, much atrocities and problems arose causing both social, political, economic and religious unrests in different parts of the Niger Delta region, especially, Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
The federal government check militancy audits social menace declared the policy of AMNESTY to enable the militants handover or surrender their arms and ammunitions without been hurt or face prosecution in order to usher in peace, love, and progress for the Niger Delta region and in the entire nation.
Now the amnesty period has expired since the 4th of October, 2009. Here, in Rivers State an orientation camp has been built to enlighten the surrendered or repentant militants at Etche in the Etche Local Government Area.
But the problem now is the one about the security agents – the police on our roads who have misused the opportunity given them to check the militants or miscreants to extort money from innocent road users.
The police on the quest to get rich quick, extort more money from the people set up more illegal checkpoint, which also cause unnecessary traffic holdups.
For instance, from Port Harcourt to Ahoada there are more than twenty five checkpoints where these policemen do their nefarious duties leaving the actual job they were originally assigned to do.
Since the posting of the police to the roads, they have not been able to arrest anyone of the militants not to talk of running away on seeing them but only to collect N20, N50, N 100 and so on from members of the public.
And where anyone road user refuses to meet up with their demands, she or he is beating up and at times have their vehicles impounded at gun point.
If one may ask, are the police drafted to the roads to demand or extort money from the roads users, or are they armed robbers? The answer is “NO”.
One does not know whether they have taken the course of militants as they worry so much more than the militants.
They do not even know or think that they are disgracing themselves and the government which put them there.
Most persons are tired of their wanton attitude appealing to the government to remove or dismantle these men at check points to ensure free flow of traffic devoid of disgrace to the people and government.
Hopefully enough for the people (public), their cry was heard by God through our amiable and dynamic governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi who had often times warned and scolded some policemen for extorting money from road users and causing unwarranted traffic hold up that was as long as a kilometer an incident which took place last December while returning to Port Harcourt through the Omagwa Airport Road.
The governor had also called for the dismantling of the check point wondering why the policemen would deliberately subject innocent citizens to such difficulty.
Recently, another incident took place around the Obiri Ikwerre axis of the East/West Road in which the governor has directed the state Commissioner of Police to investigate the police officers that were caught extorting money from motorists.
Governor Amaechi caught the policemen while on an inspection of projects embarked upon by his administration and expressed dismay on the attitude of the policemen in the state.
The governor’s knowledge of the attitude of the police on the Rivers State roads and his recent directive to the state Commissioner of Police to investigate the corrupt and nonchalant attitude of the two policemen as well as the call for the dismantling of police checkpoints on our roads are resounding advantages to buttress for approval for the removal or dismantling of the police check points.
The Federal Government Amnesty period has elapsed as militancy has as well ended. The government should keep off these security agents on our roads otherwise, they will have been declared militants as they are disturbing the innocent citizens and other road users all the time.
Their removal and the dismantling of the check points on our roads will not only make for the free flow of traffic but would also regain the lost fame or glory of the image of both the police people and Nigerian Nation.
The governor’s directive for the investigation of the two policemen and the call for the dismantling of police checkpoints on the road are commendable in right direction.
The action of the governor also will certainly go down well with Rivers people and other road users for they have complained most bitterly about the reckless attitude of policemen who daily extort millions of Naira from motorist in Rivers State.
Awoji resides in Port Harcourt.
Umegbewe Awoji
Opinion
Restoring Order, Delivering Good Governance
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Opinion
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
Opinion
Is Nigeria Democratic Nation?
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.
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