Policeman Crushed At Seme Over N50

A Nigerian Policeman was crushed by a commercial vehicle between Agbara and Badagry Roundabout on the Badagry Expessway on Tuesday.

Eye witnesses told P.M.NEWS at the scene that the policeman met his tragic end when the driver of a private car operating as taxi or Kabu-kabu in local parlance, allegedly refused to obey the policeman’s orders to stop at the checkpoint and handover a N50 bribe.

It was gathered that the policeman barked the orders to stop and “settle” while pointing his rifle at the driver, and in an attempt to escape, the driver allegedly knocked down the policeman, who was also alleged to have jumped on the path of the speeding vehicle.

The increased flow of persons across the Nigeria-Benin border at Seme led to the closure of Nigeria’s international land borders last Friday over last Saturday’s National Assembly elections. It was learnt that some Nigerian and Beninoise security officers cashed in on the situation to extort motorists.

The borders which were closed at 12 noon last Friday were reopened at 12 noon on Sunday.

Similar border closures are expected in the next two weekends for the presidential, gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.

Checks revealed that rogue elements in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) at the Seme Border Station always demand an unreceipted fee of N500 for the stamping of a passport on the outward and inward trips .

This illegal fee of N500 is referred to in their parlance as “officer on duty fee”.

The number of NIS personnel at the border station gives the impression that the Service is overpopulated and has no better use for the staff.

On the other hand, the National Police, which oversees the immigration issues of Benin Republic, maintains a single window each on the outward and inward legs at the border station. Like their Nigerian counterparts, the Nigerian N500 currency is the preferred choice of extortion to have a particular passport endorsed.