Checkpoints are supposed to stand as symbols of security, discipline, and order. They were originally designed to protect lives and property, to intercept criminals, and to provide reassurance to communities. Yet, across highways, city streets, and rural roads, many of these checkpoints have steadily transformed into something else: collection points. Instead of enforcing law and safeguarding the public, officers often use them as avenues for daily income.
For countless motorists, the presence of a checkpoint no longer signals safety but signals an impending payment. The uniform, once associated with honour and duty, is increasingly being linked to extortion. This practice has become so widespread that many drivers budget specific amounts every day, knowing that they will be forced to “settle” officers on duty if they hope to reach their destination without trouble. Police and army checkpoints were never meant to be toll gates. Their original purpose was clear: to detect and stop crime. Checkpoints were to serve as barriers against armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, human trafficking, and the illegal transport of weapons or contraband. In times of heightened insecurity, they were supposed to offer reassurance to communities that law enforcement was on ground, vigilant, and active.
In addition, checkpoints were intended to help regulate traffic and ensure that vehicles on the road were roadworthy. Drivers without proper licenses, vehicles without functioning lights, or commercial buses carrying passengers dangerously were meant to be corrected or sanctioned. The idea was not just law enforcement, but also the protection of lives. Unfortunately, reality has drifted far from this noble purpose.
Today, in many states, checkpoints are associated with extortion. Officers often flag down motorists, not to verify vehicle papers or check for illegal activity, but to demand money. Sometimes the demand is subtle a phrase like “anything for the boys” or a stretched-out handshake hiding folded currency. Other times, it is blunt: pay or be delayed.
Commercial drivers are the most affected. Many admit they no longer see checkpoints as law enforcement barriers but as compulsory toll gates. A bus traveling on a long route may encounter up to 10 or more checkpoints, each demanding between ₦100 and ₦500. At the end of the day, thousands of naira are lost, costs which are inevitably transferred to passengers through increased fares. “I spend at least ₦2,000 daily just on checkpoints,” says Afam Ugochukwu, a commercial bus driver. “If I refuse, they delay me, search my car unnecessarily, or threaten to seize my documents. It is better to just give them and move.
The practice has become a heavy burden on everyday people. Passengers who rely on commercial transport are forced to pay more as drivers add “checkpoint charges” to fares. Traders moving goods across states are equally frustrated. For them, the extortion eats into profits, making it harder to survive in already harsh economic conditions. “I sell tomatoes,” says Grace, a trader from Benue State. “By the time I transport my goods to Lagos, I have given money at least eight different checkpoints. Sometimes, it is the police, other times the army. If I refuse, they spoil my goods by opening every basket and delaying me under the sun. I have no choice but to pay.”
For poorer citizens, this creates an environment of injustice. Wealthy individuals or politicians can pass through freely in convoys, but small traders and drivers are compelled to fund the system of informal collections. Beyond the economic impact lies an even more dangerous consequence: national security. When officers are focused on collecting bribes, genuine security checks are neglected. Criminals can easily bypass the system by paying their way through. Analysts warn that this weakness could be exploited by kidnappers, smugglers, or even terrorists. “If money is all it takes to pass through a checkpoint, then what prevents armed groups from transporting weapons or hostages across states.
The very purpose of checkpoints—protecting lives and preventing crime—is undermined when officers prioritize their pockets over their duty.
Several factors contribute to this problem. First, there is the issue of welfare. Many officers earn meagre salaries, sometimes delayed for months. To supplement their income, some resort to collecting money from road users.
Second, there is weak oversight. In many cases, there are no effective monitoring systems to track what happens at checkpoints. Senior officers may also be complicit, receiving a share of the proceeds. This institutional corruption makes accountability nearly impossible.
Third, the practice has become normalized over time. For both officers and citizens, bribery at checkpoints has become a routine part of daily life. Drivers expect to pay; officers expect to collect. The abnormal has become normal.
The impact of this situation on public trust cannot be overstated. Many citizens now view the police and army not as protectors but as predators. Instead of reassurance, a checkpoint inspires dread. This loss of confidence makes cooperation with law enforcement difficult. When citizens no longer trust security agencies, the social contract is broken. Without trust, law enforcement cannot function effectively, especially in times of crisis.
Experts and advocacy groups have called for urgent reforms to address this issue. Suggestions include, improved Welfare, Better salaries, housing, and welfare packages to reduce the temptation for officers to extort. Use of body cameras, CCTV, and GPS tracking to monitor officers on duty, will help to contain it. Officers caught extorting must face strict punishment to set examples. Without concrete reforms, checkpoints will continue to symbolize corruption rather than protection.
In conclusion, checkpoints were meant to be barriers against crime, symbols of state authority, and assurances of public safety. But in many places, they have lost that meaning, turning into collection points that burden citizens, embolden criminals, and weaken national security.
The transformation of checkpoints into toll gates is more than a matter of petty corruption—it is a symptom of deeper institutional decay. If not urgently addressed, it risks further eroding public trust, weakening the fight against insecurity, and undermining the very authority of the state.
For a nation to move forward, its citizens must see law enforcement not as collectors but as protectors. Until then, the uniform and the checkpoint will remain symbols of fear and extortion, rather than safety and service.
