Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, counsel for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has condemned the practice of forcing travellers in Southeast Nigeria to alight from their vehicles and pass through security checkpoints on foot.
According to the lawyer, this is ordered by security personnel, especially the police and soldiers.
It has been observed that across the five states in the Southeast region namely Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, there are checkpoints where security personnel compel travellers in commercial transport vehicles to alight and pass through on foot.
While such practice is enforced at security checkpoints at the borders, there are some security checkpoints within the states where travellers, particularly those in commercial vehicles including buses, tricycles, popularly known as Keke Napep and motorcycles, are forced to alight and pass through.
Reacting to the practice, Ejimakor in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday described it as institutional humiliation and oppression of the people of the Southeast region started by former President Muhammadu Buhari and continued by President Bola Tinubu’s government.
He wrote, “The phenomenon in Igboland in which every passenger is forced to alight from vehicles & cross on foot at security checkpoints is an exemplar of the institutional humiliation & oppression of Ndigbo that started with Buhari & continues to this day. And it fuels provocation to boot.”
