Police checkpoints on Idiroko–Owode road now 52, lawmakers raise alarm

The Ogun State House of Assembly has raised alarm over what it described as the excessive number of police checkpoints on the Idiroko–Owode road, calling on the police authorities to immediately reduce the 52 checkpoints stationed along the route.

The Assembly made the call during its plenary sitting on Tuesday following a motion moved by Hon. Bisi Oyedele, popularly known as Citiside, who represents Ipokia/Idiroko State Constituency. The session was presided over by Speaker Oludaisi Elemide.

Oyedele lamented that residents, motorists and traders plying the border road now suffer daily extortion, harassment and delays due to the high number of checkpoints, which he said had increased from about 20 to 52 within a few weeks.

According to him, “A trip that should ordinarily last 20 minutes now takes almost two hours due to endless stoppages by security officers who often demand bribes from drivers and traders. Transporters are the most affected, paying up to ₦1,000 per stop, a situation that has led to losses, protests, and even a temporary local transport strike recently witnessed along the route.”

The lawmaker added that the proliferation of checkpoints has crippled local businesses, increased transport fares and worsened the cost of goods and essential commodities in Ipokia Local Government and its neighbouring areas.

He further disclosed that some of the officers mounting the roadblocks operate without proper identification, claiming to be on border patrol duties, while others have relocated from Lagos after protests at the Seme Border axis.

Oyedele stressed that the motion was not against police presence but aimed at ensuring fairness, sanity, and respect for human dignity on the highway. “We cannot continue to watch our people suffer in silence on a road that should serve as a symbol of trade, peace, and prosperity. Enough is enough,” he stated.

The motion, which was co-sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Mrs Ajayi Bolanle Latifat, and six other lawmakers, received wide support from members who condemned the growing extortion by some security officers.

Following deliberations, the House urged the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, to reduce the checkpoints to a reasonable number that guarantees security without inflicting hardship on commuters.

The Assembly also called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to engage the police command for immediate intervention, while directing that the resolution be forwarded to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Inspector General of Police, and the National Security Adviser for urgent action.