Richard Ginika Izuora
The Federal Road Safety Corps has reacted to a viral video circulating in the social media where a patrol team member of the Corps was seen on the bonnet of a vehicle (Honda Odessey) whose driver was attempting to avoid arrest having been accosted by the team for committing the offence of seatbelt use violation.
The incident occurred on Monday , July 6, 2020 along Ikorodu-Sagamu road during a special joint patrol operations targeted at enforcing the Presidential Task Force directives on physical distancing and overloading amongst passengers to curb further spread of the coronavirus.
The Corps Marshal of the agency who is deeply saddened by the development has ordered the entire team to be recalled to Lagos State Sector Command for investigation and appropriate disciplinary actions in line with the Corps’ regulations; while the erring driver faces immediate prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.
The agency expressly explained that the Corps’ operational guidelines do not allow personnel to stand in front of any vehicle to effect arrest at the detriment of their own safety while stopping the vehicle.
For emphasis, the FRSC said that a staff does not need to commit suicide while stopping an offender that is already on a suicide mission, because every arrest of an offender is expected to be done within safe and professional limits in line with their training and operational guidelines and not to unnecessarily put their own lives in danger while attempting to arrest a fleeing offender.
That is why the Corps has been deploying technology to track all cases of absconding recalcitrant drivers of this nature and bring them to justice.
“Motorists are warned to note that the above scenario is not a guarantee for drivers to continue to disobey traffic laws and exhibit such dastardly acts that put the lives of law enforcement agents at risk.
“Consequently , the Corps will utilize every legal option within its powers to arrest and prosecute the absconding dangerous driver who having realised his folly, abandoned the vehicle and took to his heels. ” it said in a statement.