For the third time in the past two months,
another policeman has been caught on
video demanding a bribe of N10,000 from
a motorist.
The footage, secretly filmed by a
passenger at the back seat of a vehicle in
Onitsha, Anambra State, has so far
received thousands of hits on YouTube.
The three-minute 18-second video which
first appeared on the YouTube channel of
one Tola Tim, has since become an
Internet sensation.
In the video, a policeman apprehended
the driver of a vehicle that was coming
from Akure, Ondo State to Umuahia, Abia
State. The policeman sat in the front seat
with the driver, and after checking the
vehicle particulars, declared that he had
discovered some discrepancies between
the documents and the chassis number.
In the video, the policeman explained that
the number ‘0’ was the last number on
the chassis number inscribed on the
vehicle, while number ‘3’was the last
number on the documents presented to
him for perusal.
The driver was seen arguing with the
policeman that he had asked him to veer
off the road in order to enable him
(policeman) do proper checking of the
vehicle. Once the alleged discrepancies
were discovered, the policeman insisted
that he would collect N10,000 before he
would release him.
The driver’s appeal that there was an
unintended mix-up somewhere and that
the vehicle was not a stolen one fell on
deaf ears. A nursing mother who sat at
the back also appealed to the policeman.
The man in uniform bellows, “Settle us.
Just give us N10,000 make I waka comot.
Or is it too much? If I knew you stole the
vehicle, I won’t collect money from you.”
But the driver, on noticing the adamance
of the policeman, said he won’t give in to
his demands.
“It is three much! I want you to take me to
your station. I’m not afraid of anything. I
can go back to Akure. At worst, I will miss
my appointment in Umuahia. Why will I
part with N10,000 on the vehicle I didn’t
steal? No sir! I can’t do that.
“I will rather go back to Akure, get the
registration officer and other supporting
documents, come back with another
vehicle and clear myself. And that is to tell
you that I have not done something
wrong,” the driver said.
The unidentified driver also calmed the
nerves of the apprehensive nursing
mother who clutched a baby girl to
herself. “My sister, don’t worry! At worst,
you will sleep in a hotel with your baby
when I go back to Akure,” the driver
added.
The policeman replied, “Eh eh. It is three
much. Wetin make am too much?” After
ruminating over the issue for some
seconds, the policeman, who was armed
with a gun, ordered, “Driver, come down.”
And the video went dead.
Meanwhile, outrage has trailed the
incident on various social media
platforms. Those who have watched the
video online describe the encounter as a
pointer to the depth of rot and decay in
the Nigeria Police Force.
They urged the Inspector General of
Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to
conduct an orderly room trial to ascertain
the policeman’s culpability in the alleged
crime and place appropriate sanctions on
him if found guilty.
An anonymous reader on
eliteink.blogspot.com says apart from
condemning the act of corruption and
sacking the culprit, more needs to be
done to cater for the welfare of the rank
and file of the police.
The reader said, “If you have a police
officer as your relative, you will
understand better. The income they get
can’t even feed them alone not to talk of
their families. The country doesn’t cater
adequately for their needs. Many police
barracks look like refuse dumps and they
are expected to live there with their
children.”
But a YouTube user, Paul Saint, argued
that there is no excuse for being corrupt,
attributing the behaviour to greed.
Saint stated, “This has nothing to do with
the service welfare of the police.
Corruption in Nigeria has nothing to do
with low or high salary pay. If you are
corrupt, no matter what you earn, you
will still find ways to illegally enrich
yourself. Most cases of corruption
recorded in this country are perpetrated
by persons who are otherwise
fairlycomfortable with bribes.
“Corruption is as a result of greed only.
Not poverty or low pay. We must
condemn corruption at all times and not
make excuses for it. But even if they are
not well paid, there is no excuse for
corruption. The most corrupt persons in
Nigeria started off with collecting less
than N10,000 and because we excuse
them or celebrate them, they step up their
demands to millions and billions. Well
paid or not, do not demand or collect
bribe.”
It will be recalled that three cops have so
far been dismissed by the police
authorities after being filmed demanding
bribes from motorists.
A police sergeant, Chris Omeleze, who
was caught on video camera extorting
N25,000 from a motorist in Lagos in
August was the first casuality of the social
media whistle-blowing.
Two traffic policewomen, corporals
Elizabeth Itolor and Jennifer Azingbe, who
were also videotaped receiving N100
bribe from a commercial bus driver at the
Oshodi/Apapa Expressway were
dismissed earlier this month.
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