FRSC directs officers to impound rickety vehicles, arrest drivers

*Warns Nigerians against offering its officers bribe

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has directed its officers to impound rickety vehicles plying Nigerian roads.

This directive given by the FRSC corps marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi was contained in a statement issued during the week by the corps public education officer, Bisi Kazeem.

The corps marshal said the clampdown is an integral part of efforts to further reduce road accidents in the country.

According to Kazeem, the zonal commanding officers and sector commanders have been given an express directive to commence a nationwide arrest, impoundment, and prosecution of owners or operators of such vehicles.

He said the operation, which will be implemented nationwide, forms part of the corps’ commitment towards enhancing its operational activities and creating a safer motoring environment.

The corps marshal said the development is premised on the realisation of FRSC’s 2021 strategic goals of reducing road traffic crash by 15 per cent and fatalities by 20 per cent.

Oyeyemi said motorable vehicles are important to the health, safety and economic benefits of drivers and commuters across Nigeria.

He urged motorists to ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles because of inherent traffic hazards associated with broken down vehicles, especially at night.

He warned that severe punishment awaits anyone apprehended, including impoundment of the vehicle, payment of fines, and compulsory road safety education.

The FRSC boss also urged the public to assist the corps by reporting any rickety vehicle sighted on the road through the FRSC toll-free numbers 122 or tune into the national traffic radio 107.1FM.

In a related development, FRSC had warned motorists and the general public to desist from bribing its patrol officers or face arrest and prosecution.

Assistant Corps Marshal Kayode Olagunju, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone 4, comprising Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa, gave the warning earlier in the week.

Olagunju, who spoke while reviewing the operational activities of the Command with the Principal Officers of the zone said that a total of 305 motorists were apprehended in the zone in the last five months for offering bribes to marshals on patrol duty.

“I want to advise motorists and the general public to refrain from giving out bribes to our marshals on the road; giving bribe is a crime.

“We have arrested 305 motorists who gave bribes to our marshals and they will be prosecuted accordingly,” the FRSC zonal commanding officer said.

He admonished members of the public to always turn down the request for bribes from FRSC men, urging those who have information on bribery to also report through the FRSC toll-free emergency telephone number 122.

Olagunju said the breakdown of the arrest showed that 89 bribe givers were apprehended in Plateau, 104 arrested in Benue while 112 others who attempted to corrupt the men on the road were arrested in Nasarawa State.

He said the amount offered by the motorists ranged between N200 and N5,000 respectively.

Olagunju said that others offered more money than the stipulated fines of the offences committed to evading the process of fine payment, prosecution or imprisonment.

He said that fine payment processes, which include attending Re-Orientation Classes for offenders were so designed to discourage committing traffic offences

The zonal commanding officer said that some of the fines were low and could be ineffective to serve as deterrence.

He said some of the arrested bribe givers were being prosecuted, while others had paid N10, 000 as a fine and also forfeited the offered bribes to the government.

Olagunju said that some members of staff of the corps, who engaged in patrol misconduct, were also arrested.

He said that penalty for the violation was the termination of the appointment of the defaulting members of staff.

“In the last six months, 21 patrol officers and men of the zone were arrested for extortion/patrol misconduct and subject to the FRSC Disciplinary Process accordingly.

“The command is poised to enhance surveillance activities to improve the integrity of the patrol operations,” he said.