The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has attributed the increase in transportation in the South East to the several checkpoints mounted on the roads by the police and the army.
Spokesman of the group, Emma Powerful, in a statement he released to newsmen, alleged that the security agencies use the checkpoints to extort money from commuters, which he said, has led to increase in fares of vehicles plying the roads in the zone.
He said: “The uncountable number of army and police checkpoints collect N5, 000 or more from each vehicle in the South East Region and make persons and vehicular movements difficult and expensive.
“Ndigbo passengers have been subjected to all manner of humiliation, torture, and forceful disappearances at the military and police checkpoints in the Eastern Region, particularly at the military checkpoint at Ukwu Orji along Owerri/Onitsha expressway.
“The soldiers at this particular checkpoint deliberately keep all the vehicles that get to the checkpoint at 10 pm to around 12 am until each vehicle pays them N5, 000 before they can be allowed to pass to continue on their journey, “ Powerful alleged
“The Nigerian government’s economic strangulation policy against Ndigbo can be felt by all inhabitants of Igbo land. The excessive extortions at these military and police checkpoints make the cost of goods and transportation exorbitant 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 is done in order to extort huge amount of cash from travellers before allowing them to cross the army or police checkpoint.
He further claimed: “The militarisation of the South East Region is not only an intimidating and oppressive policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria and security agencies, but it is also a plan to occupy the region’s territory.
“The security agencies of Nigeria also contravene the UN human rights commission rules regularly in carrying out their evil plans in Igboland.
“IPOB is calling on the Nigeria Defence Headquarters and the Chief of Army Staff to withdraw and dismantle the military checkpoints in the South East, particularly the checkpoint at Ukwu Orji on Owerri/Onitsha expressway if they care to maintain their remaining integrity.”
Credit: The Sun