Pat Utomi Blasts ‘Crude’ Police Extortion After Grueling Lagos Asaba Road Trip

Former presidential aspirant and political economist, Pat Utomi, has strongly criticised what he described as crude police extortion and poor road conditions after enduring a frustrating journey from Lagos to Asaba.

Utomi revealed that a trip which should have taken only a few hours stretched into an exhausting 15-hour ordeal, despite the vehicle experiencing no mechanical issues.

Sharing his experience on X (formerly Twitter), Utomi explained that his car departed Lagos at 5:00 a.m. and did not arrive in Asaba until after 8:00 p.m. He noted that the vehicle reached Benin City by 10:30 a.m., a journey that used to take just three hours in the 1980s.

According to him, the real nightmare began in Edo State, where it took six hours to cross Benin, largely due to incessant police checkpoints, extortion attempts, and severely deteriorated roads.

“The real news is that it took six hours to cross Benin,” Utomi wrote. “From police trying to extort money to terribly bad roads, detty December truly got dirty.”

He further condemned the conduct of some police officers, describing their actions as shameless and aggressive.

“The police extortions were beyond crude,” he added. “Questions like, ‘Why are you in Edo with a Lagos licence plate?’ Many people paid just to move on, only to get stuck again on impassable roads and in communities protesting lack of electricity.”

Utomi’s account has sparked renewed conversations online about road infrastructure, police conduct, and the daily struggles faced by Nigerian travellers during peak travel periods.

Osun Governorship: APC Committee Promises Transparent, Fair Delegate Congress Across The State

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial Delegate Congress Committee has officially arrived in Osun State ahead of the party’s highly anticipated ward-level congresses.

The committee, led by Chairman Sheu Umar Dange, paid a courtesy visit to the state APC leadership on Tuesday, December 9, at the party secretariat along Osogbo-Gbongan Road.

APC Pledges Transparency and Fairness

During the meeting with Osun APC Chairman Tajudeen Lawal and local government party leaders, Dange emphasized the committee’s dedication to fairness and transparency.

“We are ready to conduct delegate congresses in all 332 wards across the state. Our activities will be conducted without bias, and we welcome any complaints to address them fairly,” he said.

Dange urged party stakeholders to see their participation in the exercise as a crucial contribution to strengthening APC’s electoral success in Osun.

Ensuring a Smooth Congress

Secretary of the committee, Chiedu Eluemunoh, explained that all mechanisms for a smooth process were already in place. This includes the deployment of ad-hoc staff to all wards to ensure efficiency.

He clarified that only revalidated members of the APC in Osun will be eligible to vote.

“Being a party member does not automatically qualify you to vote. Only those revalidated will participate in the congress,” Eluemunoh noted.

To address potential grievances, an Appeal Committee has been set up, with sittings scheduled to begin on December 10, to hear complaints from any aggrieved members.

State APC Leadership Pledges Full Support

In response, Osun APC Chairman Tajudeen Lawal welcomed the congress committee and assured them of the full support of the State Working Committee (SWC) to ensure a successful and credible exercise.

“We are committed to providing all the necessary support to guarantee a smooth and transparent congress for our party members,” Lawal stated.

CPC Forum Denies Endorsing Atiku, Says Members Are Facing Intense Pressure
Published on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM

Kindly share this story:
“Stop Turning A Blind Eye While Benue Drowns In Blood” – Atiku Challenges Government

The Forum of State Chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) has denied reports suggesting it has endorsed the 2027 presidential bid of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In a statement signed by National Chairman Kasim Mabo and National Secretary Sulaiman Oyaremi, the Forum distanced itself from the recent visit of some members to Atiku, describing the move as both misleading and unrepresentative.

According to the Forum, while 16 members have declared support for Atiku, 20 remain firmly loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu’s administration. They alleged that opposition leaders had mounted heavy pressure on them, offering financial inducements to lure members away from the ruling party.

“Our Forum has been under serious pressure, including financial gratification from opposition figures. This explains why nine members defected months ago and seven more joined them last week. Nevertheless, 20 of us remain resolute, despite losing one member from Borno State,” the statement read.

The Forum urged the Presidency and APC leadership to address what it described as the continued neglect of the CPC bloc, stressing that the group remains a vital grassroots structure that once delivered 12.5 million votes under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

It dismissed the visit to Atiku as a staged move aimed at creating a false impression of widespread support, insisting that the gathering lacked genuine political weight.

Reaffirming loyalty to the CPC legacy, the Forum pledged support for its leaders, including Sen. Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, and Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.