The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has withdrawn its officer, Assistant Corps Commander I.L. Ibrahim, who openly tackled the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), otherwise known as Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), over the right to arrest road traffic violators, including overloaded vehicles and motorists caught using phones while driving.
Ibrahim, who is a Unit Commander in an unamed FRSC formation, was withdrawn to the national headquarters for necessary administrative and disciplinary actions even as the Corps dissociated itself from the officer’s personal utterance.
In a retraction message by the FRSC spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, the Corps said, “The general public is advised to disregard the statement as it had no approval of the corps marshal, Dauda Ali Biu and does not in anyway reflect the corporate or general position of the Corps.”
He further said: “It is important for the public know that the laws establishing VIOs/State Traffic Management Agencies give them the statutory mandate to make arrests on different offences depending on the state within which they operate. As such, the agencies should be given the maximum cooperation for the enhancement of safety on our roads.
“On this note and in line with sustaining the Corps’ resolve that road safety is a collective responsibility, and in acknowledgement of the roles the state traffic management agencies like the vehicle inspection officers play in complementing the statutory responsibilities of the FRSC through enforcement of traffic laws, the corps marshal has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the Unit Commander to the national headquarters for necessary administrative and disciplinary actions.
“The public is admonished to always comply with all established traffic regulations and cooperate with security agencies deployed to maintain law and order on the highways, irrespective of their corporate mandate.”
