Do police need to cause traffic 'wahala' in Warri to curb crime?

Heavy traffic jam in Warri few days after the state Commissioner of Police, Ikachukwu Aduba order a "stop and search" operation in the state owing to upsurge in crime.

Motorist are bear the brunt of the 'order' as heavy presence of army and mobile policemen caused impediment to traffic flow.

Residents no longer get to their destination at schedule time even as the gridlock causes multiple accident at the Effurun Roundabout on Saturday.

Motorist who tried to detour to other route following the heavy blockage caused by the accident on Saturday were molested by policemen who use horse whip on them.

Some resident who lamented the measure said they got to their home on Friday close to midnight.

A motorist who gave his name as Nathaniel says he slept inside his car because as at 11: 30 pm on Friday, policemen were still on the road conducting a 'stop and search' on every vehicle thus causing heavy traffic snarl on the roads.

"The traffic gridlock in Warri is artificial. Lagos traffic could be attributed to number of vehicular movement but Warri traffic gridlock is cause by policemen who extort motorist."

"Remove roadblock from Warri, and there would be no single traffic unlike Lagos. The one we have here is caused by overzealous policemen"

"They are just chasing shadows, they want to start their usual extortion of motorist hence the order. The police are behind the upsurge in crime themselve".

Local police says they were obeying the police chief order to enforce tight security in the state through a "stop and search" on motorist.

The Delta CP order is causing traffic snarl within the Warri metropolis with no result yet at fighting the crime of robbery and kidnapping which has surge in the state.

According to the police commissioner: "The IG instruction was not to stop the 'stop and search' operation, the IG didn't say we should leave the road for criminal to have field day, the IG only dismantled the 'roadblock' not the 'operations'.

"IG said, stop mounting of roadblock. And stop extorting motorist. Don't constitute long queues on the road. Check one or two vehicles and allow the queue to run" the Delta CP said.