A few weeks after the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, ordered the dismantling of police checkpoints across the country, a member of the House of Representatives sponsored a controversial motion on Tuesday seeking to reverse it.

Mr. Friday Itulah, a Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Edo State, however, failed in his bid, as the House rejected the motion.

Itula had argued that the IG’s action had led to increased armed robberies on the highways.

He said armed robbers had taken advantage of the situation and were more daring than before on the highways.

Itula called for an interactive session between the House Committee on Police Affairs and the police to discuss the matter.

But, lawmakers rejected the motion in a majority voice vote.

Kicking against the motion, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran and Mr. Udoh Ibeji recalled that armed robbers always unleashed terror on commuters when the checkpoints were in place, while the police could not respond appropriately.

Omidrian said, “How many armed robbers and terrorists were the police operatives able to arrest at the various checkpoints across the country when roadblocks were in place?”

She received a thunderous “none” and commendation in response to the question.

They advised the IG to continue with his security plans, but urged him to quickly replace the checkpoints with regular patrols on the highways.

femmy2010(m):
Having regular police patrol on the highway is very much the way to go.

Arouser: Mr. Friday Itulah must be getting returns from the checkpoints. Idiota.

andyanders: The man must be receiving proceeds of road blocks. In fact, check points in the Nigeria contest is an avenue for armed police robbers to steal from the public.
Armed policemen turn armed robbers in full day light extorting money from motorist issuing them numbers. If a commercial vehicle gets to a check point, a shameless Nigerian Police officer will demand for his Road Block Number issued to the cab to know if he has paid for the day's business. If you fail to say the number, you will be short if you try to drive away. Then I ask, who is an armed robber? Answer, Every Nigeria Policemen on Stop and Search.
In developed Countries, police officers are descent and their operational method is worth praising. They don't mount road blocks as they stay in their cars and be waiting for any radio message or instruction to move to certain area or they will be patrolling. They can stay on blind spots but not stopping every car passing.

Even life chicken,goat or rat, police will demand for receipt if he wants to collect money from you. When they hear of armed robbers, they will run away from their check points and hide. Some of them even mount road blocks to protect armed robbers when they are operating.

femmy2010: Having regular police patrol on the highway is very much the way to go.

Arouser: Mr. Friday Itulah must be getting returns from the checkpoints. Idiota.

royal lord: I dont belive scrapping of d check point is a good idea at this point in time. O yes! I say so because now i can drive 4rm lagos to benin gun in hand, ammunition on my seat and a kidnapped fellow in my booth, cos dere is no police men to stop me 4 a search. In as much dat there is great misuse of d check point, we cannot rule out its benefit in checking crime, my friends father was saved 4rm hìs kidnapper on their way out 4rm benin by a check point unit. If it must be scrapped, adequate policing equipment like cars, motorcycle, highway police station, trained men in the act of long distance shooting (snipers), 24/7 communication btw teams on patrol, a police call center and citizens, cctv should be put in place. Until dis are achieved, we have only created a country dat wil b defenseless to a surge of crime. This is my own opinion as a concerned citizen.

Arosa:
I was about to say the same. That is a more effective policing method, they going to need more cars.

Arosa:
I was about to say the same. That is a more effective policing method, they going to need more cars.

royal lord: I dont belive scrapping of d check point is a good idea at this point in time. O yes! I say so because now i can drive 4rm lagos to benin gun in hand, ammunition on my seat and a kidnapped fellow in my booth, cos dere is no police men to stop me 4 a search. In as much dat there is great misuse of d check point, we cannot rule out its benefit in checking crime, my friends father was saved 4rm hìs kidnapper on their way out 4rm benin by a check point unit. If it must be scrapped, adequate policing equipment like cars, motorcycle, highway police station, trained men in the act of long distance shooting (snipers), 24/7 communication btw teams on patrol, a police call center and citizens, cctv should be put in place. Until dis are achieved, we have only created a country dat wil b defenseless to a surge of crime. This is my own opinion as a concerned citizen.

kinguwem: Hon. Friday Itulah has relatives in the Police. He wants to resuscitate them. In which cities of the world he has travelled to did he see Police roadblocks like in Nigeria. The sight of policemen collecting N20 bribes at roadblocks was an eyesore. I suspect that a lot of robbery operations were planned and cordinated at checkpoints. Lets support the new IGP and say no to roadblocks. There should be effective highway patrols and creation of emergency response centres and squads.

Arouser: Mr. Friday Itulah must be getting returns from the checkpoints. Idiota.

nwanna89: @royal_lord, I don't totally agree with you. If all the policemen who spend all their time collecting 20 naira, spend that time patrolling or investigating crimes, then crime rate will be lowered. Am sure less than 30 percent of crimes in Nigeria occur on the highways. So, if all the policemen are taken by to the police station, and better equipped, they can have better capability to respond to any situation faster. And they can spend more time investigating crimes and fishing out criminals. By the way, the police on the roads collect bribe. So if i have a kidnapped person or guns in my car, all i need to do is drop 1000 naira to them, and they'll salute me.