Extortion And Brutality Of Security Agents At Asejire Boundary– Olaifa Ezekiel

The horrendous effect this deadly virus called Covid-19 has had on Nigerians can’t be compared to what Security agents assigned to every boundary of each city and state has done to the citizens. Most especially, here at Asejire boundary. I can boldly say they have been asphyxiating lives out of people living in the town of Asejire. Only those selling fish are the ones enjoying them just because they keep money they extort from tanker drivers for them. These security agents have been presumptuous from the first day they’ve been deployed here at aAsejire boundary. They have failed to perform their work ,not only that, they extort and brutalised people. I vividly remember the first barbaric occurrence they perpetrated. The tanker driver refused to give them money and they were exasperated to the fact that they beat him and his motor boy. Who could have stopped them from doing this. A scenario I first witnessed by these despicable, rogue security officers happened few days after they were being deployed here for their duty. A tanker driver who carried petrol was being stopped for scrutiny. after when he was being scrutinised, they insisted on collecting money from him which he declined. Within the twinkle of an eye, they had started beating him like a thief!. No one could stop them. The most astonishing one happens to be what could have been settled by a 15 year old boy. Two men from the village got into a fight, just a fight, but the best way to settle it was by commanding them to be rolling in the gutter. Who still does that callous thing?. And if I was told my own would come, I would absolutely argue. On this faithful day, I left my home around 3:30 pm to charge my phone since we were having power outage for some days, this place i went to to charge my phone is not far from where I live but we don’t get supplied on same line. on my way getting there I realized that there was power outage there too so I decided to sit with some guys I recognised sitting at the second gate of where I live, work called, they left. Now remaining me and two guys. That was when these security officers started coming our way. I sat comfortably because I didn’t commit any offence. All of a sudden, they grabbed us and started beating me for what my offense was! I was being handcuffed and paraded at express road like a convicted thief. They said our offence was we stole the illegal money they collected from vehicle and tanker drivers of which I knew nothing about. After countless time of pleading I was being released. I really found it difficult to believe that the person who pointed me to them is one of those women selling fish at the road side. She insisted I stole the money which later found after they apprehended other guys.. I felt embarrassed and the barbaric incident traumatized me for days. There are a lot of people like that they have assaulted by collecting their phones unlawfully. A lot needs to be done to make Security agents comply their commander’s intent on lockdown . It shouldn’t be a war against people of this place, drivers and vehicle owners. Or else , these rogue officers will keep deriding the image of Nigeria security agents.

Olaifa Ezekiel writes from Ibadan.