Ohanaeze petitions Buhari over increasing checkpoints in South-East

President-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over the increasing number of security checkpoints in the South-East geo-political zone.

The letter which was made available to reporters in Enugu on Tuesday reads in parts:
“Evidence available to us indicates an unusual number of military, paramilitary and police checkpoints in all routes leading into and within Igbo land.
“To be precise, our report presents the following gory picture: there are 60 (sixty) checkpoints between Lagos and Onitsha (a major route for Igbo traders) thus: Lagos to Ore = 24 checkpoints

Ore to Benin = 23 checkpoints
Benin to Onitsha =13 checkpoints. Just in Enugu State alone, the checkpoints are uncountable.
“The interpretation of Igbos is that these checkpoints which in the main concern themselves with extorting money from numerous Igbos passing through them are mere toll gates.
The nonchalant attitude of the Federal Government and heads of security agencies give the impression that the erection of these “toll gates” is deliberate, extortionist and intended to subdue the will of the people.

“In some instances, these security agents attend these “toll gates” with POS ( Point of Sale) machines which they use to force travellers who have no cash but possess debit cards to forcibly transfer cash to their private accounts.

“Gladly, one police officer was reported to have been arrested by the Inspector General in respect of this practice recently.