LAGOS - Some motorists in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State alleged incessant and indiscriminate police harassment while checking for vehicle documents.
The motorists told the newsmen that the documents demanded by the police were the CMR and OPS issued by the Office of the I-G and the Central Motor Registry.
Reports say that these papers, especially the CMR confirm the genuineness of motor vehicle documents.
The motorists complained that the police always mounted road blocks as from 5.30 a.m. thereby frustrating motorists’ efforts to beat early morning traffic congestion.
“The timing of the exercise is wrong as it compounds the stress one encounters on the roads, making us to spend hours in traffic,’’ Mr. Coker Jimoh, a civil servant, complained.
Jimoh said the police search was usually carried out at Igando, Isheri, Idemu, Ikotun, Powerline and Moshalahi, adding that the delay caused by the ‘stop and search’ made him to report late for work.
He advised that the police should issue a clearance paper to motorists with up-to-date papers rather than subjecting them to daily search at many check-points on the same route.
Another motorist, Mr. Fred Emoleme, accused the police of looking for flimsy reasons to arrest vehicles and their drivers.
“On many occasions, I blare my car’s horn to no avail as they will stop many vehicles at once and will bluntly refuse to allow others to continue their journey,” he said.
A businessman who simply gave his name as Paul, told newsmen that he had been enduring the treatment and had resisted the urge to engage in arguments with the policemen.
When contacted, Mr. Frank Mbah, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), advised members of the public to report any harassment by policemen to the appropriate quarters.
He urged the public to inform the police about the time and place of the harassment and possibly the names of personnel involved.
The PPRO said many stolen vehicles and arms had been recovered during such exercise, adding that many criminals had also been arrested through it.
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