By Daily Review Online
Some aggrieved youths have confronted police officers and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) at a checkpoint along the Auchi-Aviele road in Edo State over alleged extortion of motorists and commercial motorcyclists.
The youths reportedly stormed the checkpoint after receiving complaints that security personnel stationed there were demanding money from road users.
A video of the confrontation, which has gone viral on social media, showed the youths confronting and searching the officers, including some carrying firearms.
In the footage, a youth leader was heard directing his colleagues to search one of the policemen, while the officer raised both hands and insisted that he had nothing on him.
Another voice in the background urged the youths to allow the search to continue.
During the confrontation, a policeman believed to be leading the team attempted to hand his phone to the youth leader, apparently to allow him to speak with someone who could intervene and calm the situation.
However, the youth leader rejected the offer and insisted that he did not want to speak with anyone.
Addressing members of the public after the confrontation, the youth leader said the group had received information that policemen and vigilantes were allegedly extorting motorists and commercial cyclists along the route.
He claimed that the security personnel had collected N4,200 from commercial motorcyclists and other road users within less than 30 minutes of mounting the checkpoint.
The youth leader said he intended to hand over the recovered money to the Area Commander.
He also called on the Commissioner of Police to investigate the alleged involvement of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Agbede Police Station, claiming that the officers told the youths they were acting on the DPO’s instructions.
He further alleged that the vigilantes said they had been deployed by their superior in Aviele.
Expressing concern over the alleged extortion, the youth leader questioned the practice of collecting money from Nigerians already struggling with economic hardship.
Meanwhile, Daily Trust reported that it subjected several key frames of the viral video to verification using open-source intelligence tools and found no evidence of digital manipulation.
The incident has sparked reactions on social media, with several Nigerians condemning alleged extortion at police checkpoints and calling for greater accountability among security personnel.
There was no immediate official response from the Edo State Police Command to the allegations contained in the video.