Guardian

SIR: We, the residents of Akowonjo, Egbeda and Shasha are groaning under the heavy arms of the Police at Afonka Station. Police, they say, should be our friend but these ones are like angry lions, and we are afraid of them. Even at the time the Inspector General banned police check points, you will always see them stationed at the roundabout in front of the FCMB bank and at the beginning of the bridge that leads to Dopemu.

On a particular Wednesday, they extended their operation to Vulcanizer bus stop along Akowonjo road and were harassing tricycle operators but to my surprise the policemen were just three in number and were not properly dressed, but each had guns. One had a pair of slippers on, and was visibly drunk. The other rolled up his sleeves, which reveal another shirt beneath. They stopped the tricycle I was in and enquired from the driver the time, which was 15 minutes to nine (i.e. 8:45pm), and they told him that he was not supposed to pass that route at that time. Then they requested that he paid N10, 000 to bail himself. All pleas fell on deaf ears. As we were pleading, I was able to get the names of two out of the three. There have also been other incidents where policemen from Afonka would harass motorists and even detain them at their checkpoints for hours.

I am using this medium to appeal to the Commissioner of Police to curb the excesses of these policemen from Afonka police unit so that life won’t be lost in the future.

John Ayodeji,

Egbeda, Lagos.