Veteran actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has voiced his concerns regarding the overwhelming presence of police and military checkpoints on roads in the South East region of Nigeria. In a video shared on Instagram this morning, the actor compared his recent journey on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, where he encountered no checkpoints, to the situation in the South East, where he noted frequent stops within a short distance.
While travelling, Kanayo remarked, “I left Felele Olorunshogo area of Ibadan this morning at about 7:15 and this is exactly 8:15 and I am in Lagos. I found out one thing. Over a distance of 80 kilometres, I didn’t see one checkpoint, one police checkpoint or an Army checkpoint.” He expressed his frustration with the number of checkpoints on the Onitsha-Enugu expressway, questioning the rationale behind such heavy militarization in the South East.
“Why is the South East militarized and policed that you cannot go for more than 200 meters without a police checkpoint?” he asked, emphasizing the delays and discomfort faced by commuters. Kanayo described the experience as one of “harassment and humiliation,” stating, “The number of police checkpoints, collection points? They humiliate our people so badly that most times people in the vehicle are asked to come down and hands up.”
He further pondered whether this heightened security presence stemmed from “hatred or dislike” for the region’s indigenes, asking, “Is this hatred? Is this dislike? This is not good. Is the South East still part of Nigeria?”
Kanayo’s comments reflect growing concerns among residents and travellers about the impact of these checkpoints on mobility and the overall perception of security in the South East. His call for attention to these issues resonates with many who seek to address the challenges faced in the region.
