The policeman
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 lindaikeji.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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