The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, 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.
It said the incident which occurred on Monday, July 6, 2020, along Ikorodu-Sagamu road during 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, was nothing but embarrassing.
According to Bisi Kazeem, the FRSC Assistant Corps Marshall, the Corps’ operational guidelines do not allow personnel to stand in front of any vehicle to effect an arrest at the detriment of their own safety while stopping the vehicle.
He maintained that 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.
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Kazeem said motorists are, however, warned not 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 had realised his folly, abandoned the vehicle and took to his heels.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
