The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Friday called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and Defence Headquarters, DHQ, to dismantle all checkpoints across the Southeast. The stated that the checkpoints are now being used for criminal activities in the region.
Lamenting the nefarious activities that go on at checkpoints in the Southeast, IPOB stated that checkpoints are now “kill and bury,” points. They added that the checkpoints are now used for harassing and extorting people of the Southeast.
This was contained in a statement by the spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful. He said Igbo commuters in the Southeast have been subjected to all manner of humiliation, torture, and forceful disappearances at the military and police checkpoints in the Southeast. Powerful made particular reference at the “kill and bury” military checkpoint at Ukwu Orji along Owerri/Onitsha expressway.
IPOB regretted that the presence of police and military officers at checkpoints have not stopped kidnapping. And even armed robbery, and other criminal activities in the Southeast.
The statement read, “The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, ably led by the great and indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu, raises alarm over the incessant military intimidation, harassment, and extortion at the “kill and bury” military checkpoint mounted at Ukwu Orji in Mbaitolu LGA along Owerri/Onitsha expressway.
“The soldiers at this particular checkpoint deliberately keep all the vehicles that get to there from 10pm to around 12am. Until each vehicle pays them N5,000 before they can be allowed to pass to continue on their journey.
“Sometimes, after unnecessary delays and extortions by the soldiers at this checkpoint, the passengers are attacked and kidnapped on the way.
“The soldiers and police officers at this checkpoint are informants to kidnappers. They are professional armed robbers. Who use guns and uniforms issued by the Nigerian Government to intimidate and force people to part with their money. Or be delayed till the next day or even be killed. Similar incidents happen in all the military, and police checkpoints scattered all over the Southeast region.
“The uncountable number of army and police checkpoints collect N5,000 or more from each vehicle in the Southeast region. And, therefore, make persons and vehicular movements difficult and expensive.
“The militarization of the Southeast region is not only an intimidating and oppressive policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria and her murderous security agencies, but it is also a plan to occupy Biafra territory.
“The security agencies of Nigeria also contravene UN Human Rights Commission rules regularly in carrying out their evil plans in Igboland. The Nigerian Government’s economic strangulation policy against Ndigbo can be felt by all inhabitants of Igbo land. And the excessive extortions at these military and Police checkpoints make the cost of goods and transportation exorbitant. This is when compared to other regions of their country.
“Holding passengers at gunpoint from 10 pm to 12 am is against fundamental human rights. All of that, done in order to extort huge amounts of cash from travelers before allowing them to cross the army or police checkpoint.
“This shows that the Nigerian military is part of the criminality going on in Imo State and the entire Southeast.
“IPOB in the past has raised alarms that the military and police checkpoints are part of the insecurity. They engage in kidnapping and car snatching gangs’ activities in the Southeast.
“The presence of these soldiers and police officers at various checkpoints has not reduced insecurity. Instead, the Nigerian soldiers at the checkpoints are humiliating, intimidating and raping our ladies. They are extorting money and passing information to kidnappers. They are working with the kidnappers, who deliver shares of ransom collected from kidnapped victims to them.
“IPOB is calling on the Nigeria Defence Headquarters and the Chief of Army Staff to withdraw and dismantle the military checkpoints in the Southeast. Particularly, the checkpoint at Ukwu Orji on Owerri/Onitsha expressway if they care to maintain their remaining integrity. The Nigerian soldiers deployed at that checkpoint are part of the insecurity in the Southeast region.
“Therefore, IPOB demands that the Nigerian Army and Police dismantle all the indiscriminately positioned criminal military and police checkpoints in the Southeast and the South-South regions with immediate effect.
“We believe that their personnel have turned the checkpoints into something else. These checkpoints are fueling the anger of the people. The Nigerian Army and Police in the Southeast must not wait till the people’s anger gets to boiling point before they allow Ndigbo to breathe.
“The Nigerian Army should never underestimate the reactions of angry and wounded persons. Biafra people and Biafra territory have endured a lot,” the statement concluded.
source: Daily Post
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