Travellers journeying across the country for the Christmas celebrations have raised the alarm over alleged widespread extortion by hoodlums posing as local government officials on major highways.
Motorists on the eastern corridor complained that the activities have intensified along critical stretches of the Lagos–Onitsha Expressway, where the suspects reportedly stop vehicles to demand radio licences or impose arbitrary fines.
Victims said the practice is rampant around Ore in Ondo State, Benin City in Edo State, Asaba in Delta State and the Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra State.
Several families travelling for the festive season told Vanguard that the extortion often takes place in the presence of security operatives, including police officers manning checkpoints along the highway.
One of the victims, a Lagos-based nurse travelling with her family to Imo State in a private Sienna bus, narrated her experience at a location described as a “customs checkpoint” in Asaba.
She said about seven young men, shabbily dressed, blocked their vehicle and demanded a radio licence from the driver, who said he was unaware of such a requirement.
“They yanked open his door, dragged him out and shouted that if he failed to produce a radio licence, they would impound our vehicle.
We had children with us and the sun was scorching. Despite our pleas, they deflated our tyres and forced our vehicle off the road,” she said.
According to her, several other vehicles were similarly forced off the busy highway by the hoodlums, who could not produce any form of identification.
“Some of us approached policemen at the nearest checkpoint to complain, but to our shock, they brushed us aside, saying, ‘We are doing our work and they are doing their work.’ Our pleas, especially those of us with children, fell on deaf ears.
“Eventually, we were forced to part with money to continue our journey.
“Some paid N45,000, others N35,000 or N20,000, depending on their bargaining power. After payment, they gave us a phone number to call if we were stopped again. We were, in fact, stopped a few kilometres ahead by another group.
When we called the number, nobody picked. We had no option but to pay again.
Any motorist who challenged them had his tyres deflated and vehicle pushed off the highway, leaving passengers stranded for hours,” she added.
Another victim, a Lagos-based businessman, Mazi Ukadike, said both commercial and private vehicles were targeted by the extortionists.
He explained that motorists with fully wound-up windows sometimes escaped, while others were not so fortunate, as their vehicles were damaged with sticks and cudgels.
“They force drivers with open windows to stop, drag them out and threaten to impound their vehicles unless they produce radio licences or pay fines. In my case, we were stopped on entering Asaba.
“Because we were not using the air conditioner, our windows were down.
“They aggressively demanded a radio licence.
“When we told them we didn’t understand what they meant, they pushed my driver out, took over the steering and drove the car onto a rough road off the highway to negotiate money.
“They demanded N45,000. We pleaded and eventually paid N35,000. Like others, they gave us phone numbers to call if stopped again.
“These were the numbers they gave us: 09137214004 (John) and 08138755192 (Ifeanyi),” he said.
A Benin City-based security expert, Mr Kingsley Osa, described the development as longstanding, blaming weak enforcement by security agencies.
“They have been doing this for a long time, but the police and other security agencies have failed to checkmate their excesses.
It is a creation of corrupt local government chairmen who use it to settle their thugs.
“There was a time the police headquarters in Abuja issued a statement condemning the practice and warning that tough measures would be taken against anyone blocking highways under this guise.
Unfortunately, nothing came of it. They are everywhere on our highways and appear to be above the law,” he said.
When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, said he would reach out to police spokespersons in the affected states.
As at press time, however, he was yet to respond.