In a related development, some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, LAHA, yesterday called for the return of police check-points on major highways nationwide.

The lawmakers said the move was necessary to prevent the heinous activities of armed robbers currently on the prowl on the highways.

Mr Segun Olulade, a lawmaker from Epe II, said that the dismantling of police check-points had led to the return of more criminals.

Olulade, Chairman, Committee on Information, Security and Strategy of the state assembly, said that the presence of policemen at check-points in the past had created a sort of sanity compared to the current situation after the removal.

The assemblyman said that the IG should have put an alternative measure in place before dismantling the check-points, especially in the face of current security challenges in Nigeria.

He suggested the installation of security equipment and gadgets like the CCTV nationwide for easy identification of perpetrators of crimes.

Also commenting on the alleged rape, another lawmaker, Mr Yusuf Ayinla, (ACN Mushin II), described it as pathetic and called on the police to track down the perpetrators.

Ayinla said that it was inhuman for anyone to rob and rape some children regarded as future leaders.

On calls for the return of police check-points, the lawmaker said he was in support of advocates of the return of the police to the highway. ‘’I am in total support that the security check-points should be back in place until the Federal Government were able to put in a proper security communications gadgets network like in overseas.”

Ayinla, however, said that the police should be returned to the highways with some modifications that would allow for the comfort of motorists.

In his contribution, Mr Ahmed Omisore, ACN Ifako-Ijaiye II, said the return of the police to the highways would curb incessant highway crime. Omisore said that the absence of security personnel on the road posed more threat to motorists.

“Motorists are no longer safe driving from one place to another; some are harassed by hoodlums while some are robbed and raped along the highway”, he said



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/luxury-bus-attack-police-arrest-robbery-rape-suspects-driver/

i dont even know why nigerians especially females still travel at night, a security conscious person in nigeria travels only in the morning and midday and should be off the road or must have reached ur destination before 6pm , i cant even travel from enugu to awka after 6 pm cus i dont trust both the police and armed robbers.

Why do we have so many so-called lawmakers who, rather than spend their time advocating for change, instead focus on dragging the nation back. How can anyone in his/her right mind, only weeks later, call for a return to the life we all hated and admit allowed our security agencies to rot in place.
There are near no indicators that the number of attacks have gone up since the removal of the check-points, so why demand a return to what failed us for decades?

Sounds like they had their hands in the stew/pot.


Lagos, The City That Never Sleeps

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/lagos-the-city-that-never-sleeps/112720/


24-Hour Surveillance
Despite the public perception of general insecurity in the night, Lagos appears to be under surveillance during the day and at night even with the removal of police road blocks. The notion of Kuramo Beach being a hide-out for criminals was also debunked, though it is not uncommon for criminals to move from the area for operations in other parts of the city.

The problem with the lawmakers is that they have immunity against police extortion, harassment and accidental discharge, after all they have truck loads of mobile police guarding them 24/7.

They want to tell us that they don't know that highways robbery and highway kidnapping had been going on for decades, check point or no check point

WE DON'T WANT POLICE CHECK POINT PLEASE, THERE HAS BEEN ROBBERY INCIDENT SINCE I WAS BORN AND THE POLICE CHECK POINT COULD NOT STOP THEM, WHY NOW? POLICE FRUSTRATION OF OKADA RIDERS HAS TURNED MANY TO DEADLY ROBBERS WHO RETURN TO ATTACK POLICE AT CHECK POINTS. THEY CANT PROTECT THEMSELVES, TALK MORE OF THE MASSES.

I just dont kno what to make of this Lagos Assembly call at all! are they just tryng to play politics or what? or maybe they are simply inhuman! I travelled from Ilesha to Jos and I just could not believe how smooth the journy was without any Police check point, nobody pointed gun at us and shout PARK!!! and said the driver will not move unless he parts with 20naira! the soldiers on the road especially near and in Jos, only did their job of checking and then they will bid us farewell, at times with a smile!
I think the Lagos politicians are on Political dope!

In a land full of ill fitted people wt barely literate individuals controlling its affairs,shallow ideas come to d fore.So bc of an incident,checkpoints shd now return;am not surprised @all

These lawmakers are daft,if they want police checkpoint,they should request for it in lagos only,who gave them the mandate to request for police checkpoint nationwide?

I am so disappointed at the reasoning levels of these lawmakers, they were also supposed to be well educated a and well traveled. They should tell us how many developed or even developing countries they have seen roadblocks with gun tottering policemen pointing a gun at ordinarily citizens on highway in order to check their papers.

checkpoints are only effective in situation of war or breakdown of law and order or when there is a reported criminal on the run, and the check points are only mounted in affected areas for a specific time.

What I would have expected the lawmakers to advocate is ;
1. Effective vehicular patrol.
2. Effective and modern telecommunications gadgets.
3. A simple toll free number like 911 to reach the police in times of emergency.
4. Demand quick response time in times of emergency.

checkpoints were unable to stop nigerdelta militants, boko haram and daily kidnapping in the SS and SE (sometimes few meters from checkpoints), so I wonder how they think checkpoints can stop highway robbery.

I never new sanctimonious Lagos has its fair share of legislooters.

Whar do u xpect frm a house that left their normal sitting to organise owambee @ the chamber? Lol

That house should be dragged to Yaba.

BlackPikiN: the security check-points should be back in place until the Federal Government were able to put in a proper security communications gadgets network like in overseas.”

So which part of the world is this?

Ournaija: That house should be dragged to Yaba.

i concur.

Police check points are no longer needed,
these law makers should talk about other meaningful things joor!!!

I tink d so call law makers have a hand in dis police mess. Wat have dey done since dis our idiotic police officer rob, harass nd shot d masses in d name of accidental discharge. I tink dey have share in dis bribe dey use to collect frm motorist. I wish d I.G will 4eva dismantle police frm work any more. Criminals

cynthiafred67: Police are no longer needed these law makers should talk about other meaningful things!!

what do you expect from lawmakers who only go to the chambers to share public funds

When dumb people have no idea how to solve a new problem, they revert to the old problem!

Knowing Nigerian elites, I think the lawmakers are asking for a return of police checkpoints probably because one of their own must have been affected in the robbery of the luxurious bus, because there had been worse cases of armed robbery on that sagamu - ore stretch. There was one horrible incident whereby passengers were asked to lie down on the expressway and an on coming bus mauled some of them, and we did not hear a whimper from the legislators.

Attacks on luxurious buses was so rampant in the past even with thousands of checkpoints that a mobile policeman was attached to each luxurious bus. I even think removal of checkpoints must have reduced the incidence of armed robbery on the highways

[b]the idea of having police checkpoints in principle is not bad if it is needed to prevent crime.but our nigeria police do not know the use of checkpoint than for money making.you put them on checkpoint,they become a national disgrace whereby they are begging,causing traffic to ensure no car passes without paying "police toll".they become a nuissance for motorists.so yes,i do fully support them to be off the roads.

now regarding crime itself,since the removal of checkpoints,have crime increased? during the time we have checkpoints,did crime decrease? how many criminals were arrested on these checkpoints? were they effective at all? i dont think so.criminals in nigeria are smarter than having themselves caught in checkpoints either for being criminals or being in possession of weapons or stolen items.

so please,those who are calling for those armed-robbers in uniform to return to checkpoints,should shut-up!these lawmakers have no idea what people who move in their cars without sirens and special plate numbers pass through.the police can fight crime better when not distracted with begging on checkpoints.the bribe can cause police on checkpoints to be ineffective in tackling crime or even arrest a criminal,if that criminal offers a bribe.the police can still be in the area of points they use to mount roadblocks and observing without putting any barrier on the road to slow down traffic and beg.removing checkpoints does not mean that the police should go to their stations and abandon the streets.in europe,police check for documents and arrest illegal immigrants and criminals with no checkpoint for begging.the hideouts of the criminals are known to the police.rather than making crime an excuse to beg and reinstate checkpoints,the police should go to the hideouts and get the criminals.they can even help us make their "checkpoints" in those locations to make sure criminals have no base.but i'm afraid they could be taxing the criminals to allow them operate or even share the "booty" with them.this is the extent to which the hungry nigeria policeman can go with corruption.

so please,Oga lawmakers,talk more about reforming the police and the implementation of effective means to combat crime rather than advocating for checkpoints and means to beg or harass innocent people and disgracing the country by the police.a number of innocent nigerians have been shot by the police for as low as 20 naira bribe without any word from these same lawmakers.how are we to take them seriously or believe they truly care for the well-being of a nigerian citizen? the cry of the lawmakers could be as a result of presure from the police who no longer have income through the checkpoints.[/b]

Instead of 'em to fight corruption they r embracing it. Dont u knw d lawmakers are same they both collect money illegally most of d tym. Idiotas

Removal of check points on our road was applaud by majority of Nigerians. the call of the lawmakers should be ignored.

These people are seriously incompetent. They should come out with statistics that proves that crime has risen since the removal of police check points.

Always acting without thinking.

wirinet: I am so disappointed at the reasoning levels of these lawmakers, they were also supposed to be well educated a and well traveled. They should tell us how many developed or even developing countries they have seen roadblocks with gun tottering policemen pointing a gun at ordinarily citizens on highway in order to check their papers.

checkpoints are only effective in situation of war or breakdown of law and order or when there is a reported criminal on the run, and the check points are only mounted in affected areas for a specific time.

What I would have expected the lawmakers to advocate is ;
1. Effective vehicular patrol.
2. Effective and modern telecommunications gadgets.
3. A simple toll free number like 911 to reach the police in times of emergency.
4. Demand quick response time in times of emergency.

checkpoints were unable to stop nigerdelta militants, boko haram and daily kidnapping in the SS and SE (sometimes few meters from checkpoints), so I wonder how they think checkpoints can stop highway robbery.

WELL SAID.

Security will function if you have the right people in government, right legislation enacted, right gadgets (CCTV, street light, alarms etc) installed. Sacrosanct for the last and important one to function is good and reliable public power system

Kobojunkie: Why do we have so many so-called lawmakers who, rather than spend their time advocating for change, instead focus on dragging the nation back. How can anyone in his/her right mind, only weeks later, call for a return to the life we all hated, and admit did not help in anyways.
There are near no indicators that the number of attacks have gone up since the removal of the check-points, so why demand a return to what failed us for decades?

Imagine!

Maybe they didn't hear, the IGP only yesterday, restated that there was no going back on the checkpoint ban, so, matter finish. As if to say that these checkpoints actually checked robberies and other crimes when they were there.

@jmoore; if your sisters were among those little girls bleeped by armed robbers in shagamu am sure your response would be different. I support the lawmakers. Police should return to the roads asap so as to ensure safety of lives and prevent violation of women. For those whining, 50 naira is not too much for drivers to pay on high ways just to inspire our police men to discharge their duties. Up ACN. Long live TINUBU