Fake traffic police officers along Juba – Nimule Highway arrested

By Joseph Loful

A group of fake police officers setting illegal roadblocks to extort money from drivers have been arrested between Nesitu and Obama village along Juba Nimule road on Tuesday, an eyewitness said.

The traffic officers have been accused of stopping trucks drivers and forcefully demanding and illegally collecting.

An eyewitness who preferred to be known only as Bosco said the police personnel were arrested by highway security intelligence patrol while in the action of collecting money, especially from truck drivers.

“They arrested some police, and I don’t know whether they are operation or traffic police officers. Yesterday (Tuesday 13) security organs arrested them and today again they came to the roadside,” Mr. Bosco said.

According to eyewitness, multiple roadblocks were removed last week as the army deployed along the road by the government started to escort truck drivers.

Kaman Lino, the clearing agent at Nimule border said at least twenty illegal checkpoints were removed as truck drivers made their way to Juba after a long standoff due to security fears on the road.

Earlier, five to ten people were killed and trucks burnt to ashes which prompted truck drivers to stage a strike at Elegu one point.

“There are no more roadblocks those who set up checkpoints before have been taken away and the trucks are now moving freely,” he said.

Responding to the matter, the deputy Police Spokesperson Col. James Dak karlo said enough forces have been deployed along the Juba-Nimule Road and wonders why the issue of illegal checkpoints are reported.

“I think the issue of some police officers stopping trucks on the road should have not happened because forces were already deployed on the road. These are people who are against peace and these are people who don’t want tranquility in South Sudan,” Dak asserted.

He disclosed that most of those police officers setting illegal checkpoints along the highways come from Juba saying they would be monitoring time and again by the forces recently deployed.

Numerous roadblocks along the major highways and within the towns have often made traders to increase prices for both consumable and non-consumable items across the country.

Last year local media houses in the country reported that among the many road blocks, “The first roadblock where a rope is placed across the tarmac road can be found 25 minutes away from Nimule town, shortly after Gordon hill.

It added that the, “Second illegal checkpoint where soldiers used wooden logs to block motorists from crossing over can be found 30 kilometres from Juba, a few minutes away from Juba Academy school.”

The report further stated that “The soldiers often stop truck drivers and demand for coronavirus certificates and some money to enable them to continue with their journey.