Extortion of motorist by staff of the Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA), otherwise known as “Okowa Police”, has become a routine task especially those stationed along the popular Summit Road/Jesus Saves Junction, in Asaba the capital city of the state.
Just recently, in broad day light, unidentified staff of the agency with uniform was by our lenses extorting motorists after which began to count his loot extorted from traffic defaulters, rather than hooking them officially to pay their fines into the state government coffers.
HardReporters undercover correspondent on Thursday witnessed an incident where a driver with a Navy blue Honda Accord car with registration AG100ABJ beat the Red Light at the Summit/Jesus Saves Road and was accosted by the agency Hilux Van whic barricaded the road.
The occupant of the car, a mechanic, who simply identified himself as Olise, who narrated his ordeal in the hands of the traffic personnel to our correspondent said “I have already beat the warning light before it displayed the red light but I was blocked at the other side with their van which was parked few meters away”.
According to Olise, all pleas for him to go since he did not commit any traffic offence fell on deaf ears, “when the Hilux blocked me, I told them that I was able to beat the warning light but they refused to see reasons with me. Another of the personnel came and impounded the tyre of the car and I was asked to pay N15, 000.
“They said if I refuse to pay the money, I will be booked. Then and there another officer told me to pay N10, 000 that I will be released but I begged for N5, 000 which I have to go home to bring before I was allowed to go with the car”, adding that the car was given to him to repair by a customer on Monday and was driving back to the workshop.
It would be recalled that the state Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Vincent Uduaghan, had during the ongoing ministerial press briefing told journalists that they should come with evidences of any DESTMA official caught collecting bribe.
“You see, if you bring up a child, it is expected that he/she should have some teething problems and when you are helping the child to grow, correction comes in and out. DESTMA primary responsibility is to control, direct and manage traffic in Delta state. And the way we did DESTMA, we did it in such a way that there should not be any financial contact between DESTMA officers and anybody that run foul of the traffic law”.
The commissioner disclosed that there are cases of officers who were caught and have since being sent back to their parent ministries
“Because we told them that this is not a place for collecting bribe, the necessary action is been taken for them to pay for their sins. If you have the proof that this is what has transpired, let us see it and let us know. Please, let us help in building DESTMA and Delta State”, he pleaded.
He said anybody who has financial contact with any DESTMA officer is not helping the state government in any way, “if you know that you or someone has committed traffic offence, the right thing to do is to collect your booking and go to the bank and pay. Don’t give any DESTMA officer money”, he warned.
He revealed that he warned a friend of his who wanted to give DESTMA officer money to pay for him in the bank due to haste, “I told him that is not possible, you have to go to the bank and pay yourself”.
He lamented the situation where Deltans who drives to other states like Anambra and Lagos States, obey traffic laws but turns same down in Delta, “but when you come to Delta State you don’t want to obey the law but in that same we are not helping ourselves”, he declared.
