FRSC boss laments attacks on his men, vows to fight back

THE Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Boboye
Oyeyemi, has lamented the incessant attacks and molestation of
operatives of the Federal Road Safety men on nations highways and
vows to do all within his capacity to end the the humiliations.

Dr. Oyeyemi who was reacting to the recent unprovoked shooting
of two of his men by the Nigeria police in Abia State and detention
of another, noted that many road users are abusing the civility of
the unarmed FRSC personnel that are trained to be cautious while
discharging their legitimate duties.

“Many road users are abusing the civility of the unarmed
personnel that are trained to be cautious while discharging their
legitimate duties. In the past, many FRSC operatives had been
abducted, killed, assaulted, ran over, threatened and shot. It is
also disheartening that some of the attackers misinformed the
unsuspecting public by releasing manipulated information to gain
public sympathy. Attempts are often made to make the aggressors
look like the victims.”

The corps marshal said the FRSC remains the nation’s lead agency
on road traffic administration and safety management empowered to
arrest and prosecute erring motorists. He added, “Section 10 (4) of
the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, states categorically that
members of the corps shall have powers to arrest and prosecute
persons reasonably suspected to have committed any traffic offence.
Resistance based on ignorance of the law or impunity can no longer
be grounds to attack operatives carrying out their lawful duties.
We will definitely not abdicate our statutory
responsibilities.”

Oyeyemi regretted that this month alone FRSC operatives have
been shot by the police in Abia, patrol van burnt in Jigawa state
while another operative was almost strangled to death in Oyo State.
He explained. “While we commend the Abia State Police Commissioner
for swiftly directing the arrest and orderly room trial of the
Policemen who shot the FRSC staff at Aro Ngwa along the Enugu –
Port Harcourt expressway last Saturday, the Corps is deeply
saddened by the shooting. It is also greatly concerned that the two
young men were abandoned with their gun wounds by the Policemen
attached to the wife of the Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly
who shot them.”

The corps marshal also recalled the case in the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja, where an investigating panel revealed that a
patrol team flagged down a driver for routine checks. When his car
was to be impounded for running foul of traffic laws, a female
staff was attached to the offender’s vehicle to accompany the
vehicle to a nearby FRSC office for other necessary processes as
contained in the operational procedure to be effected, the driver
sped away with the female staff.

The case in Jigawa was also pathetic. An FRSC patrol team was
carrying out its legitimate duties along the Kiyawa –Dutse road in
Jigawa State when a team of the National Union of Road Transport
Workers (NURTW) officials challenged the team for daring to check
vehicles for excessive overloading and installation of the Speed
Limiting Devices. They not only set the FRSC patrol vehicle ablaze
but also badly damaged another vehicle. The FRSC office was also
destroyed by the rampaging NURTW officials.

The Jigawa incident resulted i n fatality as one person was
killed and several others injured. It will also be recalled that an
FRSC personnel in Oluyole Unit Command, Oyo State was almost
strangled to death by a driver who was accosted for contravening
traffic laws.

THE Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Boboye
Oyeyemi, has lamented the incessant attacks and molestation of
operatives of the Federal Road Safety men on nations highways and
vows to do all within his capacity to end the the
humiliations.

Dr. Oyeyemi who was reacting to the recent unprovoked shooting
of two of his men by the Nigeria police in Abia State and detention
of another, noted that many road users are abusing the civility of
the unarmed FRSC personnel that are trained to be cautious while
discharging their legitimate duties.

“Many road users are abusing the civility of the unarmed
personnel that are trained to be cautious while discharging their
legitimate duties. In the past, many FRSC operatives had been
abducted, killed, assaulted, ran over, threatened and shot. It is
also disheartening that some of the attackers misinformed the
unsuspecting public by releasing manipulated information to gain
public sympathy. Attempts are often made to make the aggressors
look like the victims.”

The corps marshal said the FRSC remains the nation’s lead agency
on road traffic administration and safety management empowered to
arrest and prosecute erring motorists. He added, “Section 10 (4) of
the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, states categorically that
members of the corps shall have powers to arrest and prosecute
persons reasonably suspected to have committed any traffic offence.
Resistance based on ignorance of the law or impunity can no longer
be grounds to attack operatives carrying out their lawful duties.
We will definitely not abdicate our statutory
responsibilities.”

Oyeyemi regretted that this month alone FRSC operatives have
been shot by the police in Abia, patrol van burnt in Jigawa state
while another operative was almost strangled to death in Oyo State.
He explained. “While we commend the Abia State Police Commissioner
for swiftly directing the arrest and orderly room trial of the
Policemen who shot the FRSC staff at Aro Ngwa along the Enugu –
Port Harcourt expressway last Saturday, the Corps is deeply
saddened by the shooting. It is also greatly concerned that the two
young men were abandoned with their gun wounds by the Policemen
attached to the wife of the Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly
who shot them.”

The corps marshal also recalled the case in the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja, where an investigating panel revealed that a
patrol team flagged down a driver for routine checks. When his car
was to be impounded for running foul of traffic laws, a female
staff was attached to the offender’s vehicle to accompany the
vehicle to a nearby FRSC office for other necessary processes as
contained in the operational procedure to be effected, the driver
sped away with the female staff.

The case in Jigawa was also pathetic. An FRSC patrol team was
carrying out its legitimate duties along the Kiyawa –Dutse road in
Jigawa State when a team of the National Union of Road Transport
Workers (NURTW) officials challenged the team for daring to check
vehicles for excessive overloading and installation of the Speed
Limiting Devices. They not only set the FRSC patrol vehicle ablaze
but also badly damaged another vehicle. The FRSC office was also
destroyed by the rampaging NURTW officials.

The Jigawa incident resulted i n fatality as one person was
killed and several others injured. It will also be recalled that an
FRSC personnel in Oluyole Unit Command, Oyo State was almost
strangled to death by a driver who was accosted for contravening
traffic laws.