He said: “I am urging you to treat this issue seriously. It is not a novelty that there are people in this country that are banking on exploiting poor people. It is really pathetic. You are there to take care of the people and protect their properties, and not to extort from them. We will be visiting that area anytime soon without your notice. If we find out that the checkpoint is still there, we will not hesitate but to recommend your dismissal,” he warned.
However, the Local Unit Commander (LUC) at Magburaka, Usman S. Amara, responded saying he was never informed about the existence of the checkpoint in question, but only came to know about it when he received the summon letter from Parliament.
“I was never informed by my predecessor about the said checkpoint, but no sooner I received the letter, I went to the location to have first-hand information. I was told that the chiefdom authorities were demanding for these monies and I commanded them to immediately remove it and as I speak, it is no longer there,” the Magburaka LUC Usman S. Amara told Committee members on Tuesday 29th January, 2019.
On the other hand, ASP Osman Kargbo attached to Massingbi, informed the committee that the checkpoint in question has been in existence since 2002 to check vehicles and goods entering and leaving the country.
Both police officers however promised to see what they could do to resolve the issue and maintain integrity and safety of drivers, passengers and their goods at all times in the areas under question.
