Food Insecurity: Police, other security agencies extort N600, 000 to transport one truck load of grains – Kebbi Traders
Joseph Irikefe
As the Federal Government battles the challenge of food insecurity that has led to unprecedented skyrocketing food prices in the market, Kebbi traders have alleged that security operatives usually extort over N600,000 from them before they are allowed to move a truck load of grains across checkpoints mounted by the Nigerian security agencies.
Some traders and farmers allege that the security operatives extortion money while they are hauling their grains in Kebbi State, Northwest, Nigeria.
They lamented that it costs a whooping N600, 000 to move a truck load of grains across checkpoints mounted by Nigerian security operatives.
The security operatives comprised the Nigerian police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Customs and the Nigerian Immigration.
Secretary of Amana Farmers and Grains Suppliers, Tukur Muhammad, told journalists on Sunday in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital that the situation is worse along Bagudo in the Bagudu Local Government Area of the state, as traders are forced to pay N1000 for each 100kg bag of any grains.
He partly blamed the hike in the prices of foodstuffs and other essential items to extortion by security operatives in the area.
“From Tsamiya Market, a grain supplier loading a truck with 600 bags of maize or millet has to pay extortion of not less than N600, 000 to be allowed to reach Argungu and Birnin Kebbi .
“We pay N1000 per 100kg bag of grains loaded in trucks, and N500 for a bag on a motorcycle.
“Even if you are not carrying anything on your motorcycle, but you going to the market, you have to pay an extortion of N300.
“We are citizens of this country; as farmers and marketers; we are always taking the blame of not doing enough to reduce prices of the essential commodities.
“Unknown to many people, it is not our making. It is this extortion that has been contributing a lot the hike in prices of commodities,’’ Muhammad said.
Speaking in the same vein, Chairman of the association, Rabi’u Mainasara, also lamented the extortion.
“From Bagudu to Tsamiya, they have mounted 44 checkpoints on the road where each trader or farmer must pay certain amounts of money at every checkpoint before he is allowed to go through.
“The security agencies comprise the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
“Security operatives posted to man Maje, Saranfo and Wara Tsamiya checkpoints on the road to the border with Benin Republic in the Bagudu Local Government Area also extort residents of the area,” Mainasara said.
He pleaded with the state, federal government and heads of security agencies concerned to intervene to stop the practice so that people would not resort to self-help.
However, in a statement, spokesperson for the police in the state, SP Nafi’u Abubakar, who denied knowledge of the alleged extortion, promised to investigate the matter.
“I don’t know of that situation but I know there was an incident on Thursday along Bagudu-Tsamiya Road where there was blockade and members of the public were complaining about extortion by security agencies.
“On hearing about the situation, Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Chris Aimionowane, instructed the commander in the area to intervene and the latter acted swiftly to calm the situation.
“We are still waiting for feedback from our commander in the area,” Abubakar said.