Extortion: Transporter Tasks Rivers CP On Monitoring

A Port Harcourt-based
transporter, Elder Jide Fashakin, has called on the new Rivers State Commissioner of police, Dan Bature, to set up a monitoring taskforce to checkmate corrupt police officers who allegedly extort money from innocent drivers on the road.
Fashakin who made the call in an interview with The Tide correspondent  in Port Harcourt on Monday said the activities of some law enforcement agents on the road was an eyesore and embarrassment to the force that if not checked would further portray the name of the police in bad light.
He said the alleged indiscriminate extortion of money from commercial drivers in the state without genuine offences was becoming a great concern to all commercial transporters, describing their activities as alarming.
According to him, areas like the Boro park fly-over, Education Bus Stop Mile one to three in Diobu, Port Harcourt are the most notorious areas where such activities strive as some on mufty even hire vehicles to patrol the road and chase innocent drivers just to extort money from them or impound their vehicles to the police station where they charge drivers huge sums of money before their vehicles were released.
Fashakin, a retired police officer  further hinted that, “sometimes after checking the vehicle particulars and finding nothing incriminating, they will still charge the driver of either buying a stolen vehicle, the chasis number  and the engine number not corresponding or no court affidavit to back up their particulars,” stressing that mile one police station had become a care stand or garage where car were taken to, the tyres deflated and after settlement, the driver or the owner of the vehicles made to pump his tryes with N200 for each tyre to standby vulcanisers.
He alleged that at Education bus stop, some traffic police officers aid and abate some of their friend drivers to load their vehicles indiscriminately after using their agents to collect N100 per loading, and noted that such activities would stop if there is a monitoring team to checkmate such ugly trends in the state.
The retired police officer hinted that some of the drivers are graduates but choose to go into the business to fend for themselves and their families since there is unemployment every where, and that when their rights were trampled upon illegally, they are not happy.
He also used the forum to advise all commercial driver to obey traffic rules and regulations, and ensure that all their particulars are in order, to avoid extortion or embarrassment by the law enforcement agents.
When contacted on phone, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Rivers State Police Command, ASP Muhammed Kidaya Ahmed said he is yet to get a formal complaint from anybody or group, but promised that action would be taken if they receive formal report.