Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps will now be carrying arms as the Federal Government has approved it due to the upsurge in violent attacks and killing of some of its operatives during legitimate duties.
This is coming on the sad revelation that the Corps has lost over 70 of its personnel in 2016 alone as a result of violent attacks by motorists at the course of duties on highways.
Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known on Friday, December 2 in Abuja at the end of year management strategy session as a way to assess the Corps stewardship as well as ensuring effective service delivery.
He noted that the FRSC Establishment Act gives power to the corps to bear arms and that the Federal Government had earlier approved that, with about 5,000 personnel already undergoing training on firearms.
The Federal Government has however approved the recruitment of about 450 personnel to beef up the operational capacity of FRSC in prompt rescue operations and enforcement drive.
Oyeyemi said: “The Act gives power to the Corps to bear arms and 5,000 of our personnel have been trained. We are just waiting for the validation of the earlier approval.
“Sadly, within the one year, we have lost 70 personnel. It is sad to note that some killing and maiming of operatives, including one from a sister agency in close collaboration with the Corps were in the course of official duties.
“A recent occurrence was the happening in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State where a motorist ran into the Mobile Court in session, killing three operatives almost instantly while a Civil Defence operative died later as a result of injuries sustained in the dastardly act.
The Corps Marshal said he had since last year raised the alarm that some Nigerian motorists were becoming unusually violent, following rising cases of wilful killings of some of the Corps’ operatives on official duties.
This is coming on the sad revelation that the Corps has lost over 70 of its personnel in 2016 alone as a result of violent attacks by motorists at the course of duties on highways.
Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known on Friday, December 2 in Abuja at the end of year management strategy session as a way to assess the Corps stewardship as well as ensuring effective service delivery.
He noted that the FRSC Establishment Act gives power to the corps to bear arms and that the Federal Government had earlier approved that, with about 5,000 personnel already undergoing training on firearms.
The Federal Government has however approved the recruitment of about 450 personnel to beef up the operational capacity of FRSC in prompt rescue operations and enforcement drive.
Oyeyemi said: “The Act gives power to the Corps to bear arms and 5,000 of our personnel have been trained. We are just waiting for the validation of the earlier approval.
“Sadly, within the one year, we have lost 70 personnel. It is sad to note that some killing and maiming of operatives, including one from a sister agency in close collaboration with the Corps were in the course of official duties.
“A recent occurrence was the happening in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State where a motorist ran into the Mobile Court in session, killing three operatives almost instantly while a Civil Defence operative died later as a result of injuries sustained in the dastardly act.
The Corps Marshal said he had since last year raised the alarm that some Nigerian motorists were becoming unusually violent, following rising cases of wilful killings of some of the Corps’ operatives on official duties.
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