Policeman Allegedly Hits Pregnant Woman

A Policeman, said to be an Inspector, in Bayelsa State reportedly hit a pregnant woman along Azikoro Road, Ekeki in Yenagoa area of the state while trying to hit a Keke Napep driver with his gunbutt for refusing to give him N50 bribe. According to Vanguard as a result it led to a protest by the commercial tricycle operators in Bayelsa State, popularly known as Keke Napep, yesterday against Policemen alleged excessive use of force and extortion on the roads. The angry protesters claimed the pregnant woman bled excessively from the mouth as a result of the police hitting her. The victim, according to the protesters, was rushed to Glory Land Hospital. Meanwhile although some security operatives described the action of the inspector as “careless” but denied the alleged use of the rifle but. Attempts by the protesters to barricade the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) along the Azikoro Road was prevented by armed policemen who fired tear gas to scatter the protesters. The incident attracted the attention of newsmen who had gone to the NUJ to cover an assignment. One of the protesting Keke Napep drivers who described the activities of the policemen at check poinnts in the state as unbecoming said: “This is a small state but the amount paid as bribe to policemen is exorbitant and fearful. Can you imagine we pay as much as N600 daily? “It is wrong and criminal. Most of our passengers are embarrassed by these policemen at night. They extort us and some of the passengers. They call everyone criminal. This is wrong.” Meanwhile the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, when contacted said he was not aware of the incident.