THE Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-political pressure group, has decried the alleged extortion of motorists on Nigerian roads by security personnel, urging the Federal Government to urgently address the anomaly.

The President of NUF, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu, appealed to the Federal Government to direct heads of security agencies, including the Police and Nigerian Army to dismantle all road blocks.

According to him, we are raising the alarm because it seems some unscrupulous security men have the backing of some senior officers to act with impunity.

“The money they collect openly show that some of our security men are no longer interested in securing life and property which is their primary duty.

“This explains why there is higher and rising rate of crime everywhere in the country.

“We hereby, call on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and punish those senior officers involved in this criminal act against Nigerian people who are doing their legitimate businesses.

“After all, the money being used to pay their salaries is tax payers money; it is only in Nigeria that you will see such crime being committed and government keeps quiet and pretend as if nothing is happening.

“NUF wants to see President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade in action against unscrupulous uniformed men with gun extorting Nigerians,’’ he said.

Chukwudum said that NUF had been inundated with several petitions and complaints from Igbo traders and transporters conveying their goods to different parts of the country on the rising rate of extortion.

“NUF lately discovered through its independent findings that on Enugu-Abakaliki-Ikom Road, there exist 15 road blocks or money collecting points.

“Each collect money ranging from NI,000 to N2,000 based on vehicle load tonnage.

“Umuahia-Ikpot-Epekene Road has 12 money collecting points and in Itu-Odupani to Calabar main town, we met 10 money collecting points,’’ he said.

-NAN

BE

– Mar. 26, 2019 @ 11:10 GMT /