Members of a special task force in Jos are extorting civilians who have to give the soldiers money as a sign of acknowledgement for their work
Dakar (TrustLaw) – Security officials in Nigeria’s Plateau State have issued a telephone hotline number, which people can use to report troops who demand bribes from the public, the Daily Champion reported on Wednesday.
Hundreds of policemen and soldiers have been deployed to the State's capital Jos, which lies between the country's mostly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south, and has been a flash point for ethnic and sectarian tensions.
The increased troop deployment has led to relative peace, but the members of the special task force (STF) are also taking advantage of the calm to extort civilians who have to give the soldiers money at check-points as a sign of acknowledgement for the work done to ensure peace, the paper said.
The command of the STF has therefore urged the public to report any soldier or policeman that demands a bribe or inducement by calling the numbers – 08101118655, 08103766168 and 07056793912.
"Soldiers of the Special Task Force do not need this type of inducement as they are well catered for in terms of feeding and other welfare associated with their wellbeing," Capt. Charles Ekeocha, the STF media officer, was quoted as saying.
The security officials have also warned citizens, especially motorists, to restrain from bribing soldiers.
"This act of enticing our men will be viewed seriously if any motorist is caught," Ekeocha said in a statement.
(Editing by Rebekah Curtis)
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