Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, has come under heavy security deployment in what the Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, described as a necessary measure to keep rampaging criminal elements at bay.

However, checks by LEADERSHIP revealed that the heavy police presence across the metropolis has created an atmosphere of unease, with commercial transport operators alleging routine harassment and extortion at several checkpoints across the sprawling Uyo Capital Development Authority (UCCDA), covering the peripheral local government areas of Uyo, Abak, Ibesikpo Asutan and Uruan.

Although organised crimes, particularly armed robbery, kidnapping and cultism, have reportedly reduced to the barest minimum within the capital, petty security breaches are said to persist in local communities where police presence remains limited, as most personnel are concentrated in Uyo.

“Akwa Ibom has barely 4,000 police strength, and most are concentrated on the capital, Uyo, leaving the remaining 30 local government areas grossly underpoliced, thereby giving more room for the criminal elements to rove with reckless abandon,” a retired police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

However, commercial motorists, including minibus drivers, tricyclists and taxi operators, expressed concern over what they described as the overbearing conduct of officers at various checkpoints.

They alleged that some officers resorted to physical intimidation and demanded money from motorists, a practice they said contradicted the state command’s much-publicised commitment to intelligence-led policing.

Along Abak Road, from the Ibom Plaza roundabout to the Ikot Ekpeyak Ikono axis, a heavy concentration of police officers could be observed standing close to the driver’s side of buses and tricycles, allegedly negotiating for handouts.

“The next moment, the overstretched line is cleared after ‘settlement’, whether the papers are genuine, complete or none at all,” Effiong UdoAbasi, a spare-parts dealer who commutes between Abak Local Government Area and the mechanic village along Abak Road, said.

Another commercial minibus driver, Etim Ekpe Okwong, alleged that motorists were compelled to make payments to avoid intimidation.

“This is what we see and experience every day. Each time you pass, whether daytime or night hours, you must part with something for the police; otherwise, they would note and mark your vehicle for vandalisation,” he lamented.

According to him, the journey from the Ibom Plaza terminal to Abak, a distance that takes about 10 minutes, now involves fewer than eight checkpoints, although he claimed the number could rise to 15.

Similar concentrations of checkpoints were observed along Aka–Nnung Udoe Road, Ikot Ekpene Road, Nwaniba Road, Oron Road and other routes connecting Uyo to neighbouring communities.

A violent confrontation was reportedly averted near two closely spaced checkpoints around the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) on Saturday, October 24, after a police officer allegedly smashed the rear windscreen of a minibus with the nozzle of his rifle because the driver refused to stop and make a payment.

According to witnesses, the incident caused a traffic jam as the bus blocked the road. The officer, who reportedly kept his hand on the rifle’s trigger, was eventually assisted by colleagues in moving the vehicle to the roadside to allow traffic to flow.

The driver was said to have protested the damage, asking the officer what he had done to warrant the destruction of his vehicle’s rear windscreen.

One of the passengers, a woman who had boarded the bus to Ekom Iman Junction, reportedly abandoned her journey following the incident.

“Check his name and number and take him to court so he can fix your glass for you,” she was quoted as telling the driver.

In another incident, a seven-year-old boy was shot and injured at a police checkpoint along Abak Road on Friday, September 11, while travelling home with his family.

According to witnesses, the family’s vehicle was stopped for a routine stop-and-search operation, but an argument allegedly broke out over a demand for money before an officer discharged a firearm, hitting the child.

A bystander who recalled the incident called for strict disciplinary action against officers accused of using their weapons recklessly against civilians.

The witness urged the police authorities to ensure that firearms issued for public protection were not turned against the same citizens officers were deployed to protect.

Following the incident, Commissioner of Police Azare has promised a thorough and impartial investigation, disclosing that the officer allegedly involved had been arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Uyo, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, also confirmed that the commissioner had ordered the immediate arrest and detention of the officer for investigation and possible prosecution.

In a statement, John said preliminary information available to the Command indicated that the incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. when police personnel conducting a routine stop-and-search operation along Abak Road stopped a vehicle conveying members of a family.

“It was alleged that during the encounter, a smoke pistol was discharged by one of the officers, resulting in an injury to the left hand of a seven-year-old boy who was inside the vehicle,” she said.

John said that immediately the incident was reported to the commissioner, he directed that the officer allegedly involved, Inspector Monday Okonta, be identified, disarmed and detained at the SCID, Uyo, pending a comprehensive investigation.

She said the commissioner’s intervention demonstrated the seriousness with which the command viewed the incident.

According to her, Azare personally visited the injured child in hospital, where he interacted with the family, assessed the child’s condition and assured them that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.

John added that the child was stable and responding to treatment at the time of the update.

“The Commissioner of Police reiterated that while officers of the command will continue to discharge their lawful duties of crime prevention, stop-and-search and protection of lives and property, such duties must at all times be carried out with the highest level of professionalism, restraint, responsibility and respect for the safety and rights of members of the public,” she said.

She added that the commissioner had stressed that the Command would neither shield nor condone any act of misconduct, recklessness or abuse of authority by any officer.

“Accordingly, where the investigation establishes misconduct or culpability, appropriate disciplinary and legal measures will be taken in accordance with extant laws and police regulations,” she quoted the commissioner as saying.

The police spokesperson said the commissioner had appealed to the affected family and members of the public to remain calm and allow the investigation to run its course, assuring them that the process would be transparent, professional and fair.

The Command also urged residents to cooperate with police officers at lawful checkpoints and during stop-and-search operations, while assuring them that genuine complaints against personnel would receive prompt attention.

However, since the September incident and the subsequent promise of an investigation, the outcome and findings, including whether any punishment had been imposed, had not been made public as of the time of this report.

Some civil rights advocates attributed recurring confrontations between security personnel and civilians to low morale among officers, alleged drug abuse within the ranks and weaknesses in recruitment and screening processes, which they said were sometimes influenced by political patronage.

They called on the police high command to strengthen the orientation and reorientation of officers, particularly those at the rank-and-file level, to promote professionalism and respect for citizens’ rights.

The advocates urged officers to regard members of the public as people they are duty-bound to protect, rather than as adversaries to be intimidated or brutalised at the slightest provocation.