Highway Humiliation: How Roadside Extortion Is Eroding Discipline in Nigeria’s Security Forces

There is something deeply troubling about a country where uniforms meant to command respect are now used as tools for roadside solicitation. Across major highways, scenes of security personnel stopping trucks not for enforcement, but for “settlement” have become disturbingly routine.

Vehicles transporting tomatoes, onions, cassava, and other goods are flagged down, not because of violations, but as part of an informal system that has quietly replaced professionalism with opportunism. What should be law enforcement has, in many cases, devolved into a pattern of transactional encounters that undermine both authority and dignity.

This is not merely misconduct; it reflects a deeper institutional problem. When officers abandon their primary duty of protecting lives and maintaining order, the consequences go beyond embarrassment; they weaken public trust and create gaps in security. At a time when Nigerians are grappling with widespread insecurity, the diversion of attention to roadside collections is both risky and unacceptable.

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The symbolism of the uniform has also taken a hit. Once associated with discipline, honour, and national service, it now risks being perceived as a tool for survival in a broken system. This shift is not accidental. It is the outcome of prolonged systemic neglect, poor welfare structures, weak accountability, and a culture that too often excuses misconduct.

Yet, it would be too simplistic to place the blame solely on individuals at checkpoints. The problem is rooted in a broader failure of governance and institutional oversight. When systems do not reward integrity or enforce consequences, compromise becomes normalized.

Still, normalization must not mean acceptance.

If Nigeria is serious about restoring confidence in its security institutions, then reform must go beyond rhetoric. It requires improved welfare for personnel, strict enforcement of discipline, and a clear message that abuse of authority will not be tolerated. More importantly, it demands leadership that understands that public trust is built not through declarations, but through consistent action.

A nation cannot afford to let its symbols of authority lose meaning. The uniform must represent service, not survival; integrity, not improvisation.

Until that shift happens, the scenes on our highways will remain more than a passing embarrassment—they will stand as a daily reminder of a system in urgent need of repair.

Written by Festus Edovia, ANIPR, FICM.