It is so unbecoming how officials of several law enforcement agencies stop vehicles to either ask for their particulars. Some of such agencies are the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The responsibility of these agencies differs in ensuring the safety of road and vehicle usage.
The duty of the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) is to check if vehicles are road-worthy. On the other hand, the Federal Road Safety Corps prevents and minimize accidents on the highways and clear obstructions on any part of the high ways. Also, Federal Road Safety Corps officials educate drivers, motorists, and other members of the public generally on the proper use of high ways.
More so, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is obligated to protect and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens. Whereas, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad detains, investigates, and prosecutes people involved in crimes.
These agencies were established at different times and are backed by law to perform specific functions. Often, their duties seem interwoven.
At various checkpoints, officers of these different agencies demand to check the driver’s license, vehicle papers, and most times, also check the vehicle boot. Often, citizens are confused about whose duty it is to ask for the driver’s particulars and some other things.
The most common venue for extortion occurs at roadblocks, ostensibly put in place to combat crime. Checkpoint mostly has become a lucrative business venture for some officials of these agencies who routinely demand bribes from drivers and passengers alike.
They tend to carry out these acts for their selfish interest, to exploit the drivers without considering the consequences.
Most times, extortion-related confrontations between some of these agencies and drivers often escalate into more abuses and loss of lives.
These abuses range from arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention to threats and acts of violence, including physical and sexual assault, torture, and even extrajudicial killings.
Conclusively, rather than creating more agencies that continue to duplicate functions of other existing agencies, the problems the government intends to tackle by having these officers on roads should be addressed for effective performance to secure safety, internal and external integrity of Nigeria.
#stopandsearch #agencies #policy #goverance #security #veegil #Nigeria
https://veegil.com/t/duplication-of-agencies-series-stop-and-search/387?u=onye.mercy