By Emma Elekwa Onitsha
A Human right lawyer and Executive Director of International Human Rights and Equity Foundation (IREF), Justice Ijeoma said the Police is one of the highest beneficiaries of the ongoing total lockdown in Anambra state.
Ijeoma who was reacting to the alleged killing of two persons by the police in Nkpor, Idemili Local Government Area of the state accused the police of taking advantage of the lockdown enforcement to extort bribes from motorists.
He said, “From what we have seen and being reading in the papers over the enforcement or restriction of movements to avoid contacting Coronavirus, it does appear that one of the highest beneficiaries is the Nigerian Police, leaving the trails the lives of innocent Nigerians.
“In the last two weeks of the restriction in the country we have been having news of innocent people mowed down by the security agents, we have also been treated with video clips and stories of law enforcement agents particularly the Police involved in extortion and collection of bribes.
“Strictly speaking, there is no lockdown as officers saddled with enforcing it are observing it in breach, there has not been any motorist who was made to turn back because of the insistence of the law enforcement agents.
“What is happening is delaying people and later collecting agreed amount from them and allowing them passage.”
The legal practitioner urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to caution officers of the force against infringement of people’s right.
“The Inspector General of Police should prevail on the State Police Commissioner to stop their men from invading people on the streets, their houses and beer parlours in the name of enforcing or restricting movement,” he said.
