Igbo youths demand removal of military checkpoints in S’East

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has called for the removal of all security checkpoints in the region.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the President General of the coalition, Goodluck Ibem said the call followed an alleged dehumanization of motorists by Nigerian soldiers at checkpoints across the South East.

According to the coalition, the military checkpoints on Southeast roads have been “turned to a place where innocent Nigerians are subjected to different degrees of inhuman treatments for failing to pay bribes or murmuring when a motorist pays a bribe.”

Ibem alleged: “Trucks are forced to pay as high as N2,000 to N3,000 per truck, buses pay N500 to N1000, and cars pay N200 to N500 depending on the soldiers’ mood.”

He said: “We demand the immediate dismantling of all military checkpoints and roadblocks in South East roads because they have outlived their purpose.

“We demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of those soldiers involved in the collection of bribes on our roads which have helped to destroy the security of the zone.”