Popular Owerri based political analyst and blogger, Maazi Obinna Akuwudike, have lamented the lack of security in Imo State, following Monday attack on the Owerri Federal Correctional Facility, as well as a military checkpoint along Onitsha road.
Akuwudike was speaking to MaaziTV correspondent Mercy Anaele, over the disturbing situation in the state.
“I am telling you, this state is insecure, this state is porous,” Akuwudike lamented. “On our highways, you’ll see police checkpoint after checkpoint, yet criminals pass through there daily.
“What they do there during the day, is to collect “roger” from drivers without any proper search of the vehicles. In the night, they’ll all go to sleep. How else can you explain what happened? In advanced countries, there are beat cops on night patrol. I drove into Owerri from Orlu road that same Monday after the attack around 12midnight, when I finished from a wedding in Anambra, and I didn’t see a single police or military checkpoint along Orlu road. I drove into Owerri and I didn’t see a single checkpoint. Criminals are given freeway to drive in and out of the state unchecked.
“With the proximity of the attack, which was next to the Govenror’s house, do you know that these people could have attacked and even abducted the Govenror and nobody will challenge them? If they could attack State CID and nobody challenged them, who would have stopped them if they had decided to pay the Govenror a visit?
“Nigeria Police need to sit up. Many of them, especially those in Southern part of the country, mount checkpoint just to extort drivers or you see them chasing Yahoo Yahoo boys. That was what led to the EndSARS protest some time ago.
“In advanced countries, they sit inside their vehicles without bothering motorists, coming out to check cars only when they have been radioed of possible threats or crime. In a situation where they stand there collecting “roger”, criminals and Kidnappers know they’ll just give them “roger” and pass.
“We heard the Gunmen came in many vehicles, they most likely passed through police checkpoints. Were they stopped? They probably engaged the soldiers at Onitsha road knowing the Soldiers had probably been alerted of what happened in Owerri and may be waiting for them. These people probably came from outside the state for them to be heading through Onitsha road. Did they not pass police checkpoints?
“There’s no point in checkpoints, if they’re only to extort from motorists and not to really prevent crime. There should be patrol checkpoints at night as well as in the day and they should stay by the side of the road unless notified of security situation. Telling them to check every car is a license to extort motorists.”
