Take Bribe, Get Fired, FRSC Warns Personnel
The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has vowed to dismiss from service any of its personnel found extorting motorists.
Corps Public Education Officer, Mr. Bisi Kazeem gave the while reacting to the recent arrest of 37 FRSC operatives for alleged extortion of motorists on the highways.
A team comprising the FRSC, ICPC and DSS made the arrest of the erring personnel.
The FRSC management had in a complaint to ICPC said the incidents of extortion were rife in six states; Kaduna, Bauchi, Abia, Rivers, Kogi and Ogun.
A statement by the FRSC said: “We abhor corruptive tendencies. There are internal mechanisms such as the Corps Marshal Monitoring Unit and Surveillance and Intelligence Unit. There is also zonal commanding officers unit of surveillance and monitoring, sector commanders unit, all aimed at checking excesses of marshals.
‘The corps marshal felt that reports concerning the issue of extortion is getting alarming and didn’t want to stop at the internal mechanism.”
The statement added that this necessitated the collaboration with the ICPC and DSS, stressing that it led to the deployment of technology which facilitated the arrests.
Meanwhile, the Argungu Unit Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps has returned N416,000 to victims of road crash that occurred on Saturday, August 17, 2019, along bye-pass on the Argungu – Birni Kebbi road near College Of Education, Argungu.
FRSC zonal public education officer ACC Aliyu Maaji, said the crash involved a Toyota Carina II with registration number YYB 117 AA and a Toyota pick up van registered AA 98 GWN. Four persons, all males were involved.
Three of them were injured but no fatality. The victims sustained varying degrees of injuries and were conveyed to Argungu General Hospital.
The Zonal Commanding Officer of Zone 10, Sokoto, comprising Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, ACM Kayode Olagunju, commended efforts and integrity of his men and called on all officers and men in the zone to continue to do their best and ensure the prompt rescue of road crash victims.
He directed the operatives to always carefully document monies and other items recovered from crash scenes adding that these should be promptly handed over to the victims or relations of dead ones without tampering with any of the items.
He warned that the monitoring teams will always be on the road to fish out staff that engage in extortion or compromised in the discharge of their duties.
The Zonal Commander further enjoined motorists to be more patient while on the road and obey traffic rules and regulations to avoid sustaining injuries or loss of lives and property on the road.
He wished all road users on the road safe journey and cautioned that they should be more careful especially when it is raining or has just rained as the visibility could be impeded while the road surface may be slippery.
They are advised to park and wait if the intensity of the rain is highly affecting their control of the vehicles.
They should be mindful of dangerous potholes that could be covered by a pool of water.
He advised all vehicle operators to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy.
