Anambra Police Command generate N33.3bn from illegal tolls - Human Rights Group
PETER EZIOLISA, OINITSHA
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has allegedly said that it observed with dismay, the official armed robbery currently being committed by the Anambra Police Command against the innocent citizens of the state through toll extortion. According to the human Rights group in its press statement dated 17th November, 2008 and signed by its chairman, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, described as the crudest, and most catastrohpic of all the crimes being committed in Anambra by the police. Intersociety maintained that amount of road blocks and collection of illegal tolls on trunk A,B, and C roads by the police personnel, popularly called “wetin you carry”, has not only constitute public nuisance but also result to heavy traffic holdups in major cities of the state It lamented that Mobile Police, alias, “MOPOL”, and regular policemen are all involved in the criminal extortion of commercial buses and other road users in the state, which by its annual estimation, allegedly amounted to about #3.3 billion in the past nine years.

Other police units mentioned include, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and the Police Patrol Division, whose motives it described as being pecuniary, extortionate, tortuous murderous, judiciary and constitutionally twisted Intersociety further stated that between 1999 and 2003, the price tag for every motorist and motorcyclist, both commercial and private was #20 or #40 per illegal toll block scattered all over the state, particularly, in the urban and semi-urban areas. It also pointed out that the figure did not include other sundry extortion in the case of the Federal High Way Patrol teams, and added that the amount of money extorted from the victims, which may be four-folds higher than the #3.3 billion believed to have been generated from tolls collected since 1999. The Human Rights group alleged that beneficiaries of the extortion include the IGP, DIGs, AIGs, CPs DCPs, ACs DPOs and DCOs whom they alleged partake through the process popularly known as, “returns”, stressing that the headship of the Police Service Commission (PSC), may not totally be exempted from the illegal deal. It blamed members of the public for conspiracy by not providing their vehicular papers complete, as well as display sheer of impatience, ignorance and money-culture syndrome, which encourages the commission of the illegal crimes by the police

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