The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FRSC

  • Oyo Assembly charges FRSC on modes of operation

    The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday charged officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to adopt more tactical and civil approaches in enforcing arrest of erring drivers in their operations.

    The charge came following a recent auto crash involving some officials of the Corps and a commercial cab driver which resulted in the death and injury of about five persons in Moniya, Ibadan area of the Oyo state capital city.

    The lawmakers also called on the hierarchy of the Road Safety to investigate the incident and prosecute offenders, including their officials involved in the hot chase.

    The plenary, presided over by Speaker Olagunju Ojo, reminded the officials of the Corps to “strictly abide by its code of operations which abhorred chasing drivers to death, bearing in mind the need to respect human lives.”

    During an ensuring deliberation which followed a motion brought before the House by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Abdulwasi Musah and the Majority Leader, Mr. Kehinde Subair, the lawmakers noted that FRSC rather than chase erring drivers, could simply take note of such number-plates and subsequently arrest drivers of such cars later.

    The motion had described as “unwarranted overzealousness” the hot pursuit of the commercial car that refused to stop at a checkpoint manned by FRSC officials around Ojoo which left at least one person dead and three others injured.

    READ ALSO: Oyo Assembly to councils: maintain constituency projects

    Furthermore, the motion urged the FRSC to be more tactful in its operations of minimizing accidents, ensuring that safety measures are observed by road users, including getting their particulars.

    In their separate contributions, Mr. Fatai Adesina and Mr. Oyaleke Oyatokun bemoaned that FRSC officials rather than stick to their statutory duties were known for undue harassment and extortion of drivers.

    Mr. Gbenga Oyekola said the FRSC officials should be keener on ensuring that drivers have the right vehicle particulars.

    Wrapping up the deliberations, the Speaker urged the FRSC to remain diligent in its duties and not dent their image, while also urging the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other drivers’ unions to prioritise training of their members on the need for them to be up to date with their vehicle particulars and adhere to rules of road usage and traffic signs.

  • Seven dead, scores injured in Kwara auto crash

    An auto crash on Tuesday claimed seven persons in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East local government area of Kwara state.

    It was gathered the deceased include three men and four women, while the injured were 34 women and 24 men.

    Also injured are 12 children comprising six boys and six girls.

    The ghastly motor accident was said to have occured at about 9:40 am at Osi bridge Apado area along old Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa.

    Kwara state Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Uchechukwu Wihioka confirmed the incident.

    He said that the auto crash involved a Toyota Dyna with plate number FA 655 NAS and Toyota Hiace with plate number LSD 919 SR.

    Wihioka attributed the cause of the crash to dangerous driving and wrong overtaking.

    The FRSC boss said that the driver of the Dyna truck could no longer control the vehicle after finding himself in the dangerous condition, adding “he flung his passengers in different directions on the road.”

    He said that a combined team of FRSC officials and men of the police arrived the scene on time to render necessary assistance and cautioned commercial drivers and other road users to always drive with caution.

    The sector commander also charged passengers to drive along with commercial drivers so that they could caution them when driving recklessly.

    He said that they have the right to do that, adding that lives would be saved when everyone was involved in road safety.

    He also cautioned road users to be careful on the road, especially during the festive period of Easter.

  • FRSC: poor handling causes accident victims’ deaths

    The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kwara State, Uchechukwu Wihioka, yesterday said many accident victims have died due to poor handling by rescuers.

    He said proper enlightenment among road users can save accident victims on Nigerian roads.

    Wihioka spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the second emergency and first responder trauma training programme for officers and selected members of the public.

    The sector commander said the FRSC organised the training in conjunction with an Australian agency which specialises in trauma management.

    He added that it was aimed at training people on safety measures to take when accident occurs and which will not make them cause more harm to injured victims.

    “Safety requires a collective measure. It is not for road safety officials alone. It’s for everybody. So, we should be knowledgeable about what to do when on the road. With this, we’ll reduce deaths from road crashes and know the right things to do to not damage further what has already been damaged.

    Read also: Easter: FRSC advises motorists

    “When you find yourself on the scene of a road crash, don’t be in a hurry to leave the scene. Stop. The moment you stop, you may save a life. With the knowledge already garnered from a seminar like this, you can always package the victim to safety. We should all be safety conscious and be willing to render informed assistance,” Wihioka said.

    The FRSC chief, who said road accidents had been reduced in Kwara by 45 per cent in the first quarter of the year, added that the feat was achieved with assistance from the media and the public.

    He said: “We’ve also intensified high-powered monitoring on our highways, for instance, Oloru-Bode Saadu-Jebba road. We’ve also introduced camp measures with our officials always there to calm down traffic and road users, among other safety measures.”

    Works and Transport Commissioner Aro Yahaya said the state government partnered FRSC to carry out road safety activities to reduce road crashes.

    He said road safety activities can only be carried out in collaboration with other concerned stakeholders, hoping that the seminar would make roads safer and reduce carnage by 20 per cent.

    The commissioner said the government was committed to improving road infrastructure, particularly the Gerin Alimi Diamond Underpass and Sango-UITH road dualisation in Ilorin, among other critical ongoing road projects in the state.

    “In the event that we’re unable to complete these ongoing projects, I call on the incoming administration to complete and put these unique and strategic projects to use for benefits of Nigerians and Kwara,” Yahaya said.

  • FRSC: driving against traffic on Lagos-Ibadan highway to attract psychiatric test

    THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said any motorists caught creating additional lanes and or driving against traffic on the Lagos-lbadan Expressway will be booked for a psychiatric check.

    FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander Mr. Hyginus Omeje, who stated this at the weekend in Lagos, said erring motorists would also have their vehicles impounded.

    According to Omeje, one of the causes of the constant gridlock on the road is impatience and lane abuse by most road users.

    He said: “A good assessment of the road, which I have done severally, revealed that there is nothing wrong with the road. But everything is wrong with the users, who constitute a law unto themselves and willfully break all known laws of transportation.

    “Although, the road is undergoing rehabilitation and expansion, which has gotten to Magboro by MFM Church and at that point, lbadan bound traffic was diverted to share the lane with inward Lagos traffic.

    “The narrowing of the carriageway at the diversion point caused serious gridlock last week.

    “The problem is always compounded anytime motorists create additional lanes or drive against traffic, leading to crashes.

    “We are not interested in arrest, but to get the road free of gridlock. However, many motorists are creating a problem for us by creating additional lanes or driving against traffic, especially anytime there’s a breakdown.

    “We will soon start to book erring road users, who are compounding problems on that corridor,” Omeje said.

    The FRSC chief noted that impatience had caused so much chaos and harrowing experience for motorists on the corridor.

    He urged motorists to always maintain their lanes, saying that lane discipline and obedience to traffic law is required by all road users to ensure a free flow of traffic.

    Omeje said the construction companies from OPIC had put signage from 50 kilometres, 80 kilometres, and 100 kilometres per hour speed limit.

    “No spirit, no demon is causing anything on that road, but the attitude of the road users, which is underscored by impatience and lawlessness.

    “Our men are ready to enforce the law and to curb the excesses of people creating additional lanes and driving against traffic.”

    The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is 127.6-kilometre long (79.3 miles) connecting lbadan to Lagos and also a major route to the Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria.

    The expressway is the oldest in Nigeria and was commissioned in August 1978.

    It is also the busiest interstate route in Nigeria and handles more than 250,000 vehicles daily and constitutes one of the largest road networks in Africa.

  • FRSC pledges to reduce traffic crashes on highway

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayelsa Command, has reiterated its commitment to reduce traffic crashes in the state, urging drivers to desist from speeding and alcoholism on the wheels.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Ikechukwu Igwe made the call on Saturday in Yenagoa during the closing session of the Corp’s 2019 Quarterly Healthy Week.

    Igwe stated that the week-long programme tagged: “Good Sight, Essential for Safe Motoring and Accident Reduction,” was to help drivers in Bayelsa know their health status and thereby promote safer roads.

    “The programme is our own initiative and we intend to make it a quarterly event for drivers in the state.

    “This is part of our efforts to ensure that road crashes are reduced on the highway because, it is dangerous to be on the road as driver, when you have bad eye sight and High Blood Pressure.

    “We have given them some medical assistant including eye check up, especially on glaucoma screening and Hepatitis B test.

    “I believe we have made a good start; a hitch free exercise and so much of the drivers have benefited; some with serious cases have been referred to specialist hospital,” he said.

    READ ALSO: Overloading: FRSC goes tough on offenders

    Dr Uzoegbo Okechukwu, Optometrist from Optometry Department in the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, said good eye sight could aid good driving.

    He said that a driver could not be safe in the road with poor sight and other related illness like Hepatitis B.

    “There is need for glaucoma screening for drivers to enable them have good eye sight in order to reduce accident on the roads,” the doctor explained.

    Mr Okoafor Jones, Chairman of Welfare and Association of Protection Human Right for Drivers/Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), Bayelsa, lauded FRSC on the medical outreach.

    Jones, who urged the corps to make the programme a continuous exercise for drivers, said his members were ready to support all policies towards having safer road.

    The programme started on Tuesday.

  • FRSC debunks reported death in Ibadan accident

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Command, has debunked media report  of an accident allegedly claiming one life following a chase by its officers.

    Some newspapers had reported that FRSC officials chased a commercial Micra car with registration number, Lagos 831 DH into a fatal accident around Moniya area of Ibadan, leaving one person dead and four others injured.

    Speaking with NAN correspondent on Saturday in Ibadan, Mr Seun Onijala, Oyo State FRSC Corps Education Officer, said the accident involved six persons and three  persons were injured while the remaining three persons were unhurt.

    “Nobody died in the accident and I am telling you the true picture of what happened.

    “ The officials asked the Micra car to stop and the driver  refused to do so and decided to turn the wheel of the car to the officials at the right and left side of the road with the aim of knocking them down.

    “The FRSC officials were able to move away to the other side of road and the driver of the Micra car moved on and the patrol team van gave the Micra car a chase.

    “ In the process of the chase, a trailer was coming on the one way of the road and the option for the Micra car and the FRSC Van was either to both have an head-on–collision with the trailer or fell into the wide hole by the road side,’’ Onijala said.

    He said that both the Micra car and the patrol team van plunged into the wide hole by the road side and three persons were injured and the remaining three were unhurt but nobody died in the accident.

    Onijala said the command had always warned its officers not to chase any vehicle that committed an offence but to leave them and get their plate number to apprehend and punish them later.

  • Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: FRSC to go tough on motorists causing gridlock

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), says motorists creating additional lanes and driving against traffic on the Lagos-lbadan Expressway will be booked for psychiatric check.

    Mr Hyginus Omeje, the Lagos State Sector Commander told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos that erring motorists will also have their vehicles impounded.

    According to Omeje, one of the causes of the constant gridlock on the road is impatient and attitudinal behaviour by most road users.

    “A good assesment of the road which l have done severally, reveals that there is nothing wrong with the road other than there is everthing wrong with the users of the road.

    “Although, the road is undergoing rehabilitation and expansion which has gotten to Magboro by MFM Church and at that point, Lagos- lbadan bound traffic was diverted to share lane with that of lbadan to Lagos.

    “The narrowing of the carriageway at the diversion point caused serious gridlock last week. The problem is always compounded anytime motorists creates additional lanes or driving against traffic leading to crashes.

    “We are not interested in arrest but to get the road free of gridlock. However, many motorists are creating problem for us by creating additional lanes or driving against traffic in the case of breakdown.

    “We will soon start to book the erring road user compounding problems on that corridor,”Omeje said.

    The FRSC boss noted that impatience had caused so much chaos and harrowing experience for motorists on the corridor.

    He urged motorists to always maintain their lanes, saying that lane discipline and obedience to traffic law was required by all road users to ensure free flow of traffic.

    Omeje said that the construction companies from OPIC had put signages from 50k/m, 80k/m and 100 km per hour speed limit.

    “No spirit, no demon that is causing anything on that road but the attitude of the road users impatience and lawlessness.

    “Our men are ready to enforce the law and to curb the excesses of people creating additional lanes and driving against traffic.

    NAN reports that the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway is 127.6 kilometre long ( 79.3 mi) connecting lbadan to Lagos and also a major route to the Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria.

    The expressway is the oldest in Nigeria and was commissioned in August, 1978.

    It is also said to be the busiest interstate route in Nigeria and handles more than 250,000 vehicles daily and constitutes one of the largest road network in Africa.

  • Man, 26, remanded in prison over N650,000 FRSC job scam

    A Makurdi Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded a 26-year-old man prison for allegedly defrauding three job applicants of N650,000.

    The Magistrate, Mr Peter Chaha, ordered that Ezekiel Francis be remanded in Makurdi prison and adjourned the matter until May 21, for further mention

    Francis was charged with criminal conspiracy, impersonation and Advance Fee Fraud punishable under Sections 97, 132 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue, 2004; and 3(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, 2006.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Regina Ishaya, told the court that the defendant had defrauded the trio of Paul Ukoha, Arubi Job and Obo John under the pretext of getting them jobs at the Federal Road Safety Corps.

    According to the prosecutor, the defendant conspired with one Solomon Ogbu of Sango, Ogun, and told the victims that they were officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps who could help them get recruited into the outfit at a fee.

    Read also: FRSC confirms two dead in Bauchi tanker explosion

    The victims said they sent N650,000 to the conspirators through a Union Bank account number 0068239410 and UBA account number 2116011062.

    Other items the defendant and his accomplice collected from the complainants were their original primary school certificates, original secondary school certificates, state of origin certificates and National ID cards.

    The complainants said that after collecting the money and the items, however, the conspirators failed to recruit them as promised and converted the money to their personal use.

    Francis was later arrested by the police during investigation, while Ogbu is still at large.

    When the case came up for mention, the defendant did not take the plea for want of jurisdiction.

    Ishaya told the court that investigation into the matter was in progress.(NAN)

  • 19 killed, 38 injured in Katsina road accident

    The Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) has confirmed that no fewer than 19 persons died and 38 persons injured in a ghastly road accident on Daudawa-Funtua road in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr Godwin Ngeuku, made the confirmation to newsmen on Friday in Katsina.

    He said that incident happened on Friday morning at Daudawa, few kilometres to Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State involving a Mitsubishi canter vehicle.

    The sector commander said that the driver suddenly lost control of the vehicle while speeding, thereby skidded up the road, somersaulted and killed some passengers instantly.

    He said that the vehicle, with registration number DKA 654 ZP, was on its way to Sokoto axis with about 57 passengers when the incident occurred.

    Read Also: FRSC advises passengers to caution reckless drivers

    The sector commander said that FRSC rescue team immediately rushed to the scene of the accident and took the injured persons to Funtua General Hospital for medical attention and evacuated the corpses.

    Ngueku urged drivers to desist from overloading, speeding and continue to abide by the traffic rules and regulations as part of measures to avert crashes on the highways.

    The Chairman of Funtua Local Government Area, Malam Lawal Sani, who expressed sadness.

  • One dead as car rams into fuel tanker in Ebonyi

    One person died and another is said to be in critical condition at a hospital following an accident involving a fuel tanker and a Honda salon car.

     The incident occurred along Abakaliki/Enugu express road on Wednesday night.

    It was gathered that the driver of the salon car, a welder popularly known as Best Brian, was burnt to ashes

    It was gathered the tanker driver was returning from Cross River state where he went to off-load parts of the fuel to the owner.

    It was further gathered the tanker had a burst tyre and parked on the road for repairs when the salon car with registration number APP 607 AR rammed into it from the back.

    The tanker ignited on impact and the two drivers got burnt.

    The welder was trapped inside his car but the tanker driver, who was said to be carrying out repairs under the vehicle, managed to escape though with severe burns all over

    He is said to be in critical condition at the hospital.

    An eyewitness said: “Best Brian was with us yesterday at the building material and when we finished talking.

    “He said he was going home because he comes from the village to work every day.

    “How I wish he was alive to tell the story how the incident happened. Now he is burnt beyond recognition.

    “We don’t know whether he was drunk or that he was answering a call that caused him to ram into the tanker,” he said.

    It was gathered that the accident occurred at the same scene where another tanker carrying diesel failed and destroyed property worth millions of naira recently.

    Charles Edem, Head of Operations of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in the state confirmed the incident.

    He said the driver of the Honda car was burnt beyond recognition while the driver of the tanker suffered severe burns and was rushed to the hospital.