Road Blocks: Rights Group Accuses Nigerian Military, Police Of Extorting N21.8B In Southeast

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Popular human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, has accused personnel of the Nigerian Army and the police of extorting a whopping N21.8 million naira from motorists at various road blocks and barracks extortions in parts of South- East, Nigeria within two months of December 2024 to January 2025.

It alleged that out of the said amount, the police forcefully extorted N15 billion, while the military made the innocent citizen cough out N6.8 billion.

Recall that the allegation had earlier been raised in what the organization described as a detailed research and investigation special report, christened: “Ocean Of Innocent Blood Flowing In Eastern Nigeria” was presented to newsmen recently in Enugu.

According to the 282 page special report, “Nigerian Military Criminally Pocketed N6.8 billion in two months: Dec-Jan’ .“The deployed personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force and their High Commands in the South-East are responsible for seizing under gunpoint not less than N21.8 billion from motorists, other road users and those who came in contacts with them in their barracks between December 1, 2024, and Jan 31, 2025.

It said: “The sum represented “criminal billions” drawn from direct and indirect roadblock and “barracks extortions”; numbering over twenty sources and seized from members of the civilian population with legitimate means of livelihood who were extorted while preparing or returning for 2024 Christmas and 2025 New Year holidays or extorted while heading back to their bases after the holidays.

A statement, signed and made available to newsmen weekend by InterSociety Board Chairman, a Criminologist, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, and other top management Staff, among them, Barrister Chinwe Umeche,

Head, Democracy and Good Governance Program, Barrister Chidinma Udegbunam, head, Campaign and Publicity, condemned in its entirety such alleged criminal act by the security operatives.

“The findings above were derived from detailed research and investigation and their findings contained in the Intersociety’s December 22, 2024-Special International Report: “Ocean Of Innocent Blood Flowing In Eastern Nigeria”.

“The 282-Page Special International Report was unveiled in Enugu on December 22, 2024 at an international Press Conference.

“Not less than 19 pages (105-124) were set aside in the Report on police and military extortions and allied corrupt practices in Eastern Nigeria particularly in the South-East.

“The deployed security forces and their high commands were found to have mindlessly perpetrated the trio of armed state actors conduct-atrocities in the Region; namely: abductions, unlawful killings and corrupt practices of alarming proportion.

“”According to patterns and trends of these extortions studied by the Report, there are presently at least 300 direct military roadblocks, and 500 patrol teams or indirect roadblocks mounted on South-East roads-with 98% of them engaging in direct and indirect roadblocks extortions using publicly procured assault rifles and their ammunitions and patrol vans.

“These extortions and allied corrupt practices by military personnel are contrary to Section 108 of the Armed Forces Act of 2004 which prescribes fourteen years jail for any military personnel found involved in the offense of extortion.

“The Report further found that average of N100,000 is illicitly pocketed daily by each of the military roadblocks; translating to N80m daily from 800 military roadblocks and patrol teams in the South-East or N2.4 billion per month and N4.8 billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.

“Addition of N2 billion was included and estimated to have arisen from “direct and indirect barracks extortions” and allied others-totaling N6.8 billion, seized at gunpoint and illicitly pocketed from South-East motorists and allied others including those that encountered the military personnel in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.

“Further discovered were not less than ten sources of indirect military extortion in the South-East: with a clear case in point being patterns and trends of the corrupt practices of the officers and personnel of the Ogbaru Base of the Nigerian Navy at Onitsha and Ogbaru-the most lucrative military roadblock in the South-East; to the extent that not less than N1m is seized at gunpoint and criminally pocketed daily.

The group claimed that the alarming extortion “translates to at least N600m in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025 by the Uga Junction Main Naval Checkpoint and three others located along Atani Road and Harbor Industrial Layout in Ogbaru, Anambra State.

“In the past two months under reference, the deployed officers and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and their high commands manning estimated 2,500 direct roadblocks and patrol teams or indirect roadblocks on South-East roads and allied others are found to have been responsible for seizing at gunpoint and criminally pocketing not less than N15 billion from motorists other road users and those that encountered the police authorities at their barracks”.

“The breakdown of the above indicated that Imo State with highest number of police roadblocks and patrol teams (700) in the South-East accounted for N2.94 billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025; on daily average of 49 Million (N70,000 per police roadblock), N1.47 billion monthly and N2.94 billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.

“Anambra State, which presently maintains second largest police roadblocks and patrol teams in the Region with estimated 600, N42 Million was criminally pocketed daily, N1.26 billion monthly and N2.52 billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.

“In Abia State with third largest police roadblocks and patrol teams of estimated 500 in the Region, 35 Million was criminally pocketed daily, N1.05 billion monthly and N2.1 billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.

It added that “in Enugu State with fourth largest police roadblocks and patrol teams of 400 in the Region, 28 Million was criminally pocketed daily, 840 Million monthly and N1.68 billion in the past two months of December 2024 and January 2025.

“And Ebonyi State with fifth largest police roadblocks in the Region of 300 police roadblocks and patrol teams, N21m was pocketed daily, N630m monthly and N1.26 billion in two months of December and January 2025.

“Addition of estimated N3.5billion was made, representing ‘criminal billions’ seized at gunpoint from those that encountered police authorities at police barracks including “bail fees” and monetization and commercialization of arrest, detention and criminal investigations as well as N1 billion added as “dark figures of crimes”.

“The amount totaling estimated N15 Billion; or N10.5billion arising from direct and indirect roadblock extortions plus N3.5billion arising from “Police Barracks Extortions” and 1 Million arising from “dark figures of police corruption proceeds”; totaling 15 Billion.

“It must be informed that Police roadblock extortion in Nigeria particularly in the South-East is prohibited and criminalized by Section 99 of the Criminal Code Act of 2004 and Section 408 of the Penal Code Act of 2004; both of which prescribe jail terms of three-seven years; and three-fourteen years respectively.