The National Committee Against Touting (NCAT) has berated soldiers and policemen on duty at the highways in South East and the South-South for what it called “extortion, criminal intimidation and bullying” of vehicle operators.
Consequently, NCAT has charged the Chief of Army Staff and the newly appointed Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba as well as governors of the zone to wade into the matter and call their men to order with a view to bringing the ugly trend to an end.
The committee chairman, Dr Ike Anikwendu said yesterday in Abuja that the most affected areas were the Abia Tower in Umuahia, Itodo junction in Abakaliki Ebonyi state, Isele Asaba, the Mbiama/Patani Road in Warri Delta state and the Benin by pass/toll gate in Edo state.
While accusing highway soldiers and policemen of coercing road users to give them bribes ranging from N2, 000 to N5, 000. Anikwendu stated that “these officers engage in the act of touting, extortion, criminal intimidation, bullying and frog-jumping of the nation’s investors, truck owners, drivers and innocent commuters as if there is no law in Nigeria for failure to part with their hard earned money”.
The NCAT helmsman threatened that he would prevail on the presidency to stop allocation of states and local governments who continue to send what he referred to as “horde of lawless touts”, who unleash terror on innocent citizens on the nation’s highways.
He appealed to the federal government to release sufficient funds for the anti- touting squad to continue to wage war against all forms of touting in the country.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate