Military personnel in a check point at Odukpani/Akamkpa road have been accused of extorting money from the commercial vehicle operators plying intra/inter states routes.
A Pastor with Redeem Christian Church of God in Awi parish, in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River State, Pastor Eyo Nsa told DAILY POST in an interview in Calabar on Monday that the incident occurred on Sunday morning when he was going to Church in Awi.
He said the major issue facing the commercial vehicle operators in Cross River State is the extortion of money by the Military along Odukpani/Akamkpa roads.
“The Military that mount check points Odukpani/Akamkpa roads ordered commercial vehicle operators to drop N100 at a Military vehicle parked by the side of the check point”.
According to him, “If any vehicle refuses to comply, such driver would be asked not to proceed on the journey and such car would be parked for sometimes with a view to punishing the driver and the passengers. In fact, they will not permit the driver to move” he stated.
Nsa who is a Merchant Navy Cadet said, “The funny aspect was that the drivers will stopped abruptly, jumped out of their cars and in a jive moved swiftly to where the army Hi-lux vehicle was parked and drop the N100 and rushed back to their cars and zoomed off.
“In the military’s car parked by the side of the check point, there was somebody monitoring the donation and if a driver has higher denomination, the soldier in car will offer the driver a change.
“Besides every other day, the one I witnessed was on Sunday, I was passing there to my church at Awi in Akamkpa when I saw this incident, I wasn’t pleased about it particularly, by this act perpetuated by the military officers which I have respected.
“I was in the bus when the driver in an effort not to pay the N100 zoomed off, the soldiers in a military Hi-lux parked on the road side, moved in a commando style and chased the vehicle.
“When they got to us (Our Bus), they ordered our driver to reversed back to the check point where they parked the car for sometimes. I went to them, I introduced myself as a cadet officer (Merchant Navy), they said, why didn’t you tell him to stop and do the needful,
“They didn’t allow us to leave. Apart from our vehicle that was held, they were other cars parked and this caused a traffic jam and a long hold up.
“I saw some drivers knelling down begging them, sadly most of the passengers were going to churches along Odukpani and Akamkpa while others were heading to other places within and outside the state
Consequently, Nsa said he told his driver not to beg them again and I put a call through to one of the officers he knew, because he was aware they are from 13 Brigade and the responds was that another person have reported the attitude of the soldiers there to the office.
“They military were summoned but they denied the incident saying that it was their sister military personel that extorted the money from drivers and not them” he said.
The man recalled that last month, similar incident occurred and it caused along traffic jam.
“One of the drivers who said the long queue was caused by the military was detained and I pleaded with them to release him and the car given that he was carrying corps members.
I saw corpers knelling down, pleading with them to release the car but became more aggressive. “That car carried some corp members, in fact one of them knelled down and pleaded, they now allow them to go” he again stated.
When DAILY POST contacted the Army Public Relations Officer, Major Grace Ngozi, she said she was outside Calabar and referred our correspondent to 13 Brigade operations officer, Dele Popoola.
“I am not aware, and in any case I am outside Calabar for an official assignment but an officer would talk to you on the issue” and she referred us to the 13 Brigade operation officer.
The 13 Brigade Army Operations Officer, Dele Popoola said I am going to investigate the matter immediately, “Thank you for the information, I appreciates it, I can assured you that I will get to the root of the matter, I will put people in motion to get them, though I am not aware of it but I will handle it immediately, thank you,” he stated.
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