After a brief relief from the incessant extortion and harassment by soldiers at the checkpoint mounted at the Orimerunmu end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the soldiers have returned to the location, subjecting motorists and residents to hardship.
In March, a series of stories highlighted the plight of motorists and residents who complained about being subjected to traumatising tortures by soldiers who indiscriminately mount roadblocks on the expressway to extort money from them daily. The soldiers usually create a checkpoint on the expressway at night, using barricades under the guise of conducting routine security checks. The situation caused a backlog of traffic induced by the slow-paced movement of vehicles navigating the narrow opening created by the soldiers on the expressway. Motorists and residents complained that hoodlums had been taking advantage of the situation to rob them of their valuables while stuck in the gridlock.
Following the reports, the soldiers dismantled the roadblock while motorists heaved sighs of relief. However, their relief was short-lived as the soldiers returned to the roadblock on Monday evening. They mounted roadblocks on both lanes of the expressway at the Orimerunmu end, subjecting motorists to long queues and gridlock.
A motorist who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said, “It was surprising to see them again on Monday after they left that axis for some weeks. I was on my way back from work when I ran into the gridlock they caused on the outward Lagos lane. By the time I looked at the other side, I saw that their colleagues were also on the inward Lagos lane. I was surprised to see them at that spot again.”
Another eyewitness said some of the barriers used by the soldiers to mount the roadblock were still seen lying by the roadside of the expressway when he resumed work in the early hours of Tuesday.
The return of the soldiers has caused anxiety among motorists and residents who fear a return to the previous situation. People thought they had left that end of the road for good, and it was shocking to see them again. They used to carry one of the woods used for work to block the expressway. When I came back to work this morning, I saw it missing from where we used to keep it.
The spokesperson for the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, promised to contact the Commanding Officer in charge of the area on the matter. “I will call the CO and find out. When there were reports the previous time, the CO quickly intervened, and we were able to sort it out. Now, I will speak with the CO again to intervene,” Ayeni promised.
The return of soldiers to the checkpoint on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is a significant setback to the efforts to provide seamless transportation for motorists and residents plying the route. The government must take urgent action to address the situation to ensure the safety and security of citizens.
