The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has rejected allegations of widespread extortion and harassment at checkpoints across Uyo and surrounding communities, describing a report by Leadership newspaper as misleading and insisting that its deployment strategy is guided by security needs.
The Command’s reaction followed a report published on Tuesday, October 27, titled “Akwa Ibom Residents Decry Alleged Police Extortion, Harassment at Multiple Checkpoints,” which detailed complaints by commercial drivers and other residents about alleged demands for money, intimidation and excessive police presence on major roads.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 28, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, said the publication relied on unverified allegations and an estimate of the state’s police strength provided by an unnamed retired officer.
The newspaper quoted the retired officer as estimating that Akwa Ibom had about 4,000 police personnel, with most concentrated in Uyo, leaving the other 30 local government areas inadequately policed.
However, the Command disputed the estimate, saying it did not reflect its actual personnel strength. It also argued that the presence of officers at checkpoints along major routes did not mean that communities elsewhere had been abandoned.
The police said operational security concerns prevented it from publicly disclosing detailed information about its personnel strength and deployment, adding that assignments were determined by prevailing security needs and operational assessments.
The newspaper’s report also cited complaints from commercial motorists who alleged that officers demanded money at checkpoints and intimidated drivers who refused to pay.
One motorist, Etim Ekpe Okwong, was quoted as saying drivers routinely parted with money to avoid intimidation and possible damage to their vehicles. Another source, spare-parts dealer Effiong UdoAbasi, alleged that vehicles were allowed through checkpoints after payments, regardless of whether their documents were complete.
The report identified several roads where motorists alleged that checkpoints were concentrated, including Abak Road, Aka–Nnung Udoe Road, Ikot Ekpene Road, Nwaniba Road and Oron Road.
It also reported an alleged confrontation near two checkpoints around the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital on October 24, during which an officer was accused of smashing a minibus’s rear windscreen with the nozzle of his rifle after the driver reportedly refused to stop and pay.
The police statement did not specifically address that alleged incident but maintained that accusations against individual officers must be established through evidence and due process rather than treated as proof of routine misconduct across the Command.
Another major issue raised in the newspaper’s report was the shooting that injured a seven-year-old boy at a checkpoint along Abak Road on September 11.
The report said the child was injured during an encounter involving police officers and the family conveying him. The Command had earlier confirmed that Inspector Monday Okonta was identified, disarmed and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Uyo for investigation.
In its latest statement, the Command described the child’s injury as a serious matter and said the investigation was ongoing. It promised to make the findings and outcome public soon.
The police also said it would not shield any officer found culpable of misconduct, extortion, intimidation or abuse of authority, adding that offenders would face appropriate disciplinary and legal action.
To encourage residents to report alleged misconduct, the Command directed members of the public to its Complaint Response Unit at the Police Public Relations Department. Complaints can also be made through the designated telephone number, 08102958982, or to any senior police officer.
While urging journalists to verify allegations with the appropriate authorities before publication, the Command said it remained committed to protecting lives and property across the state.
