The Federal Government has granted officials of the Federal Road Safety
Commission FRSC, the authority to carry arms while on duty. Corps
Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, disclosed this
while speaking at the end of the year management strategy session for
the parastatal in Abuja this weekend.
According to Oyeyemi, the need for the officers to bear arms arose from
the increased number of violent attacks and killing of some of its
operatives while on duty. According to Oyeyemi, over 70 of its
personnel have been killed in 2016 alone as a result of violent attacks
by angry motorists. Oyeyemi said 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 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”he said