…I Will Investigate Allegation — DESTMA DG
An officer of the Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA), popularly called “Okowa Police”, one Mr. Okafor Peter has been caught collecting the sum of N10, 000 worth settling a fine for an offence allegedly committed by a Security Consultant for breaking the State traffic rules.
The sin of the Security Consultant was answering call while driving, which prompted the bribe happy DESTMA officer to flank him down and decided to ask for inducement instead of booking him for the said offence.
The DESTMA personnel subverted the said money payable to a designated bank account of the state as internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
An eye witness who pleaded anonymity, said the man was answering call obviously to get direction from somebody when he was accosted by the DESTMA officers.
It was gathered that he pulled over, but instead of listening to his plea, they started embarrassing him to the extent that he was visibly humiliated.
All efforts to get them to understand that he was a stranger in town, trying to find his way proved abortive as they eventually demanded that he pay them.
The source affirmed that he parted with the money they demanded before he was allowed to go, even though he had identified himself to them.
The Story, can authoritatively report that the officer was caught in the act, which provoked the Director General of the Agency, Commander Azubuike Sam Idah and prompted him to order the officer back to the office where he was humiliated and demobilized alongside his accomplices.
A source within DESTMA who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he had never seen the DG so furious in that manner before now.
He said the Security Consultant after the embarrassing moment with the officer, found a way to reach the DG who asked him to come over to the office to make an official complaint.
It was gathered that Mr. Idah had asked him to identify the alleged corrupt officer and supervisor at that point (DBS Traffic junction), which he did.
Having confirmed the truth in the stranger’s complaint, the Director of Operations was directed to take the kits from the officers and remove them from the patrol team.
We can reliably confirm that they would be dealt with administratively.
Further investigation about the security consultant revealed that the man was a stranger on an official engagement in town.
The issue of bribery and corruption had become a stinking stigma in DESTMA and this particular incident had once again, confirmed that the officers only receive fines for themselves and not as revenue for government.
For this reason, the action of the Director General is adjudged commendable, if for anything, to help redeem the battered image of the Agency and use this expose as a deterrent to others who may want to toe this same corrupt line in future.
It is no longer news that DESTMA officers stationed along Summit Road by Toyota Motors, alleged for bribery as this reporter has stubbled on them sharing money believed to have been forcefully collected from defaulters but not remitted to the state treasury.
When this reporter threatened to report them one of them said: “if you like send the picture to anywhere, nothing dey happen”.
Contacted, the Director General of DESTMA, Commander Azubuike Sam Idah, said: “then the person in question is speaking from both sides of his mouth because yesterday that he is a banker with First Bank. Yesterday, he made an allegation, I said are serious? You need to come to my office and then I described my office to him.
“And then I called the whole patrol team to my office. The person identified himself as a First Bank worker and that he is new to Asaba, so he told me N10, 000 but you are saying N2, 000 which was why I thought we are talking of two separate things. And when I asked him to point out who, he wasn’t very sure but he pointed to one person.
“But he was not 100 person sure, we even told him to remove his facemask so that they can now look at him, he removed his facemask, they said they don’t remember him. I now asked him what type of vehicle were you driving? He said he was driving a Lexus and the patrol team said they don’t remember him.
“So, I now requested for their body cameras and told them to stay off the street because they cannot work without body cameras which right now is sitting on my desk in the office. Until we review on on Monday. And I asked the man, what time did they stop you? He said 3:00pm. The body cameras I have confiscated pending my investigation.
“The two body cameras involved are on my desk right now until Monday. Yesterday I told him you were just as guilty because if they ask for bribe and you gave, you gave knowing fully well that you were committing an offence because you didn’t want to pay the government, you decided to pay DESTMA without conceding that they collected money from him because I wasn’t there, until I investigate”, he stressed.
