Safety Alert On Nigeria’s Death-Trapped Highways

By Esimagboko Thomas

I wrote somewhere about Nigeria been a comic theatre of “a new day… new drama”. I wasn’t been humorous then.

Almost every new day, there are verifiable cases of gun-trotting ill-trained security officers assaulting, battering, maiming or killing innocent citizens extra judicially especially on federal highways.

Painstaking investigations have explicitly revealed that these godforsaken agents of terror are in most cases drunk with kai-kai, high on wee-wee or left their homes troubled either by ‘abiku’ or by King Devil itself. Their scapegoats end up been innocent commuters going about their legitimate businesses.

Now, this… few days ago, I was attending a function in another state with a friend. A highway patrol team flagged us and my law-abiding companion dutifully parked his car.

After the routine vehicle particular checks of which all documents were up-to-date, the officer instructed the bonnet to be opened, we swiftly obeyed.

However, the same officer barked at us to provide a rag or his sparkling white handkerchief for him to clean the engine to locate the engine number and verify if it was in par with what was in the papers . My friend said he had no rag or handkerchief of which I immediately smelt alcohol in the policeman’s breath and his fingers were so close to the trigger. Immediately, my friend and I exchanged glances…

Summarily, he went to their patrol van and got a very dirty rag. While looking at the engine number, he was swearing at us under his breath, threatening to detain us indefinitely and deal ruthlessly with us if we utter any statement and also gibbering all sorts of unprintable languages. He was obviously expecting a showdown. Alas! He was disappointed, because we remained stoned mute!!!

Commuters, be wary of security personnel on highways…Most are plighted with poor remuneration, many are under influences of alcohol and/or hard drugs, etc. To ease their worries is to assault, batter or in worse scenarios squeeze their triggers, and a life would be extinguished…

and yes, so many Nigerians’ life have been cut short by such unravelled extra judicial killings of which their innocent bloods have been crying bitterly for justice…

Nigeria is an unjust, and lawless nation, still deeply rooted in stone age bureaucratic practices, where the judicial system is almost nonexistent and laws for the elites visibly different from that of commoners.

Please, think of your loved ones at home before confronting that uniformed, ill-trained, power-drunk and trigger happy security oga at the top on our death trapped highways.

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