By Tony Okafor
One of the most embarrassing sights on Nigerian highways today is what has come to be known as “police firewood roadblocks” — checkpoints crudely marked with heaps of firewood, logs, stones, discarded drums, and worn-out tyres.
Across many expressways, these makeshift barricades have become commonplace.
Security agencies have a constitutional duty to protect lives and property. But the manner in which some checkpoints are set up raises serious questions about professionalism, public safety, and national image.
Firewood and condemned tyres are not just unsightly; they are dangerous. At night, during rain, or in poor visibility, such barricades become accident traps. A checkpoint meant to enhance security should not endanger the lives it is meant to protect.
Beyond safety, there is the issue of defacement of public infrastructure. Nigeria, both at federal and state levels, has spent billions constructing and rehabilitating highways to ease transportation, commerce, and development. These roads are among our most visible public assets and should reflect order and progress.
It is difficult to understand why well-built highways must be scarred by piles of firewood and tyres in the name of security.
Every nation projects its image through its institutions and infrastructure. For visitors, investors, and tourists, crude roadblocks on major highways signal disorder and institutional backwardness.
This concern is heightened at a time Nigeria is seeking foreign investment, tourism, and greater international respect.
We cannot aspire to modernity while tolerating practices that belong to a bygone era.
The solution is straightforward. Where checkpoints are necessary, authorities should adopt standard, professional structures: reflective signs, removable barriers, warning lights, and properly marked facilities. These are used worldwide. They enhance security while preserving safety, order, and public confidence.
The police and other security agencies must adopt practices that reflect the dignity of their offices and the aspirations of the nation. Security and professionalism are not opposites; effective security is strengthened by professionalism.
Nigeria’s highways should be symbols of development and pride, not galleries of disorder. The era of firewood and tyre roadblocks must end.
A nation determined to move forward must ensure that its roads, institutions, and security practices meet modern standards.
