Igbo National Stakeholders Assembly Raises Alarm Over Security Siege On Roads To Eastern States

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

An Igbo Sociopolitical organization known as Igbo National Stakeholders Assembly, INSA, has raised alarm over the siege on the travellers going for Christmas on Lagos-Ore-Benin Expressway leading to the SouthEastern part of Nigeria.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the group is calling on the Federal Government to dislodge the security agencies, who have turned the road to haven for intimidation and extortion of motorists as people are forced to part with certain amount of money thereby causing unnecessary traffic on the road.

This was disclosed by the President of INSA, Chief John Uche and the Igbo traditional ruler of Mushin Kingdom, Eze John Nwosu, during the end of year party organized in Okota,Lagos.

The President of INSA, Chief John Uche, said motorists are passing through hard times on the roads leading from Ondo, Edo, Delta and Anambra States due to massive security check by the Police, Military, Customs, Road Safety Corps and others. 

He noted that it was obvious that they were not there to protect motorists rather to extort as motorists were made to pay various amounts as gate pass.

“Hardly a motorists passes a kilometer without check points where they collect between N500 for private and commercial vehicles each and N1,000 from each truck passing through the roads daily.”

Chief Uche explained that due to their activities on those, the journey from Lagos to the Eastern part of the country, which usually lasts between five to six hours is not between 12 and 18 hours.

He appealed to the Federal Government and security authorities to dislodge those officers who are causing untold hardship to road users especially during this period.
Eze Nwosu, on the other hand, wondered why security men will be deployed to the roads including the Eastern states, which are peaceful, while there are no security men in the Northern part of Nigeria, where there is insecurity such as armed banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

He noted that the men on the road were there just to make money and enrich themselves and not to protect motorists or prevent crimes because robbers were still operating in some of the areas while they still mounted those check points.

He posited that if over 340 students can be kidnapped in a day in Katsina State by armed bandits at once, it means there was no security put in place in those volatile areas and therefore, the Federal Government and the security agencies should withdraw their men from the roads in the South and send to the North to protect lives and property.

INSA is a sociopolitical organization formed to speak for the interest of the Igbo people to determine their political future in Nigeria.
The group is led by Chief John Uche as the National President, Chief Uba Lawrence as Deputy President, the Vice President is Pastor Ugochukwu Ugwa while Barrister Friday Okike is the General Secretary with Mrs. Lizzy Anowai as the National Women Leader.