CDHR To Delta New CP: Dismantle Illegal Checkpoints, End Extortion On Highways

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Delta State Chapter, has called on the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Etaifo Erale, to order the immediate dismantling of what it described as illegal and obstructive police checkpoints on expressways and major roads across the state.

The group, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comr. Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Godswill Nosa Overseey, said it was alarmed by the growing trend of police roadblocks mounted on the DSC Expressway and other major highways, alleging that officers use tyres, barricades and other objects to obstruct the free movement of motorists.

CDHR said the checkpoints were causing avoidable traffic congestion, economic losses and hardship for road users, while warning that the manner in which some of the roadblocks were mounted could also pose risks to motorists and pedestrians.

The human rights group stressed that it was not opposed to police patrols or legitimate security operations, but expressed concern over what it described as the manner in which some officers conduct their activities at checkpoints.

According to CDHR, reports reaching the organisation, as well as its encounters and interventions, suggested that some checkpoints were allegedly being used to solicit or extort money from motorists, particularly owners of private vehicles, as well as tricycle operators carrying extra passengers.

The group also alleged that enforcement of directives relating to tinted vehicle windows had, in some instances, become an avenue for alleged harassment and extortion along some routes.

CDHR said police checkpoints should be based on legitimate security considerations, including reasonable suspicion, intelligence or a specific crime or threat, rather than being used for indiscriminate harassment or collection of money from road users.

The organisation therefore called on CP Erale to order the immediate removal of all illegal obstructions, tyres and barricades from highways and major roads across Delta State.

It also urged the Commissioner to direct all Divisional Police Officers and Area Commanders to ensure that their personnel operate within the law and respect the rights of citizens.

CDHR further called for investigations into allegations of extortion, obstruction and conduct capable of endangering public safety, with appropriate sanctions against any officers or units found culpable.

The group also urged the Commissioner to reassure residents that the Delta State Police Command would prioritise professional policing and public safety over what it described as harassment of road users.

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“Police owe the public protection, not exploitation,” the group said, adding that roads should facilitate movement and should not become “toll gates for extortion.”

CDHR appealed to CP Erale to act swiftly to address the situation, warning that failure to do so could, in its view, lead to serious incidents and further erode public confidence in the police.