Exclusive: Motorists groan over extortion by VIOs

Motorists in Lokoja, Kogi State Capital, are groaning over alleged heavy extortion by Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIOs, Fresh Angle International can report.

Some of the motorists, who lamented the activities of the VIOs, while speaking to Our Kogi State Correspondent, Monday July 19, said the Officers deploy fault-finding techniques, to ensure that vehicle owners fall prey, thereby paving way for the extortion.

The motorists alleged that the bribes collected by the Officers, seldom get to the state government coffers.

A motorist, who spoke to This Newspaper on condition of anonymity, alleged that some of the VIOs in connivance with Point of Sale, POS operators (who serve as their agents) often collect the bribes on behalf of the VIOs and deliver it to the Officers at the close of work in drinking joints (PUBs) where the loots are shared by the Officers and their Superiors.

Those who have fallen victim of the harrowing experience, said the extortion is often carried out at check points mounted by the VIOs at failed portions of roads and adjoining streets, in a bid to ensure that no motorist escape their arrest.

They added that on halting any motorist down, the Officers will jump on the bonnet of the vehicle and command the owner to come down from the car and meet a Senior Officer, sitting in their van for ‘negotiation’.

According to them, if the owner of a vehicle is lucky to have enough cash on him to meet their demands, he or she would be allowed to go with the vehicle, but if not having enough cash to ‘grease’ their palms, the Junior Officers would remove the two number plates on the vehicle and direct the owner to go to their Office, where another Officer had been stationed to collect higher sum, without receipt or official acknowledgment. 

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