The overabundance of security checkpoints in the south-east region of Nigeria was brought up by Ejike Simon Eze, a former foreign service officer, in a recent interview with Arise News from 3:11. Eze used anecdotes from his own life to describe the ordeal of passing through 54 checkpoints on the way from Nsukka to Awka, a distance of less than 50 kilometres.
“I travelled from Nsukka to Awka last two months, and I counted about 54 checkpoints in a distance of less than 50 kilometres,” Eze said, emphasising the overwhelming presence of security forces on the roads. He noted that on average, there was a checkpoint every 200 yards, involving various security agencies including the Army, Police, Customs, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), among others.
Eze expressed particular concern over the role of the police, highlighting that the force was represented by numerous divisions at the checkpoints. He pointed out a troubling aspect: many officers stationed at these checkpoints often wore uniforms that lacked proper identification. “Sometimes, you don’t even see their names or their ranks. All you see is ‘SF’ written on their body,” Eze remarked, suggesting a lack of transparency and accountability.