FRSC Zone RS 8 Benefits from Corps Marshal’s Repositioned Training Initiative

As part of a sweeping nationwide push to overhaul frontline operations, non-commissioned officers under the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Zone RS 8—comprising Ekiti, Kogi, and Kwara states—have undergone an intensive professional repositioning training.

The programme, hosted at the zonal headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara State, is a core component of Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed’s broader strategy to elevate service delivery, discipline, and operational efficiency across the agency.

Retired Deputy Corps Marshal Joshua Fanola facilitated the session, while Assistant Corps Marshal Ann Oladayo, the Zonal Commanding Officer, delivered the official address.

Themed “Repositioning Marshals for Effective Service Delivery,” the training directly supports the Corps’ 2026 Corporate Strategic Goals. These goals prioritize operational excellence, institutional integrity, digital transformation, and a measurable reduction in road traffic crashes nationwide.

Building Frontline Competence

Emphasizing that Marshals are the most visible face of the agency, Corps Marshal Mohammed noted that public confidence in the FRSC hinges directly on their conduct and competence.

The curriculum covers a comprehensive range of critical areas, including:

* The FRSC Establishment Act and core operational procedures

* Advanced traffic management and emergency response protocols

* Ethical conduct, emotional intelligence, and effective public engagement

Nationwide Rollout

The capacity-building initiative is currently being rolled out in phases across all 12 FRSC zonal commands.

The initial phase successfully covered RS1HQ Kaduna and RS5HQ Benin between July 29 and 30, 2026, with subsequent phases expanding to the remaining zones.

Addressing the participants, Mohammed urged them to approach the program with commitment, stressing that the insights gained must translate into sharper patrol operations, better respect for human rights, and more proactive emergency responses.

He also instructed facilitators to keep sessions practical, interactive, and tailored to modern operational challenges.

Commending the FRSC Training Department for coordinating the initiative, Mohammed reaffirmed that continuous staff development remains a top priority of his administration.

Facilitator Joshua Fanola noted that the exercise is specifically designed to foster a more courteous, approachable, and professional demeanor among road marshals.

Participating officers expressed strong optimism that the training will significantly sharpen their competence and field effectiveness.

Jezco Chairman’s Abductors Raise Ransom Demand from N700m to N1.5bn

The kidnappers of the Chairman of Jezco Group, Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor, have reportedly raised their ransom demand from N700 million to N1.5 billion, barely a week after the septuagenarian businessman was abducted in Anambra State.

A source close to the family disclosed that the abductors had initially demanded N700 million and established contact with the victim’s relatives.

According to the source, the family, desperate to secure Ezeokafor’s safe release, had indicated its willingness to meet the initial demand as part of negotiations with the kidnappers.

The abductors, however, were said to have subsequently increased the ransom to N1.5 billion.

The source said the family remained willing to negotiate, but expressed concern that the kidnappers had since stopped communicating with them.

Efforts by the family to re-establish contact with the abductors were reportedly unsuccessful, leaving the relatives in an increasingly difficult situation.

Ezeokafor, a prominent businessman in Anambra State, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday, when he reportedly left his residence at about 2am for a prayer ground as part of his annual spiritual retreat.

Sources said the businessman had left his security details behind when he stepped out of his home, allegedly giving the kidnappers an opportunity to seize him.

The incident has continued to generate concern among residents and business stakeholders in the state, particularly against the backdrop of the growing threat of kidnapping.

One week after the abduction, the Anambra State Police Command and the state government have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The police command has also not publicly confirmed the reported ransom demand or provided details on efforts to secure the businessman’s release.

Rescued Kogi Kidnap Victims Recount Nearly 48 Hours in Captivity

Two of the 16 victims rescued from kidnappers in Kogi State, Ngozi Stephen and Joshua Daniel, have recounted their harrowing experiences during nearly 48 hours in captivity.

The victims were abducted on Sunday when armed men attacked commuters along the Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area of the state.

They were rescued on Monday during a joint security operation involving personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force and local vigilantes along the Ajaokuta–Anyigba road in the Ofu area.

The rescue operation, according to the security authorities, was successful after security personnel engaged the kidnappers, forcing them to flee and abandon the victims.

A local hunter was reportedly killed during the operation, while a police officer sustained injuries.

Speaking during an interview at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters on Tuesday, one of the rescued victims, Ngozi Stephen, disclosed that the kidnappers forced her to serve as an interpreter because of her fluency in Hausa.

Ngozi said the kidnappers assigned different ransom demands to the victims and made her communicate the amounts to them.

According to her, some victims were asked to pay as much as N50 million, N70 million and N100 million, while she herself was given a ransom demand of N70 million.

She said she attempted to plead with the kidnappers to reduce the amount demanded from her but was threatened with violence.

“They told me, tell this person N50 million, tell this person N100 million, tell this person N70 million. That was how they were sharing it,” she recalled.

Ngozi said although the kidnappers subjected some of the victims to physical violence, she was not beaten, possibly because she was being used as an interpreter.

She added that the kidnappers seized the victims’ mobile phones and laptops and switched off the phones. The devices were allegedly returned whenever the abductors wanted the victims to contact their relatives to negotiate or facilitate ransom payments.

The situation became more frightening, she said, when the kidnappers threatened to sell the victims to ritualists if their relatives failed to raise the demanded ransom.

Ngozi, however, said the kidnappers fled when they heard gunshots from the approaching security operatives, abandoning the victims and the bag containing the phones and laptops they had collected.

She expressed relief at the successful rescue, saying the victims were grateful to be alive and reunited with their families.

‘I Bled Throughout the Night’

Another rescued victim, Daniel, gave a graphic account of how he sustained a serious injury while attempting to escape from his abductors.

Daniel said that shortly after the victims were captured, he noticed an opening and attempted to escape into a nearby bush.

He said one of the kidnappers pursued him and tried to attack him with a cutlass.

According to him, he raised his hand to protect himself, but the cutlass struck his arm and severed a vein, causing him to bleed throughout the night.

“That is when the cutlass landed here and cut my vein. So, I was bleeding throughout the night,” he said.

Daniel said the bleeding eventually stopped after he obtained some herbs and applied them to the wound.

He also disclosed that one of the kidnappers identified himself as Peter, adding that the abductors deliberately spoke Igala, Fulani and Hausa among themselves to prevent the victims from understanding their conversations.

Despite his injury, Daniel said he assisted in carrying the wounded police officer from the kidnappers’ hideout to the main road after the rescue.

“Even when I had this cut on my hand, I helped in carrying the officer from where we were held captive to the main road where we entered the car. My hand was swelling,” he said.

Daniel expressed gratitude to the security personnel for their intervention but lamented the death of the local hunter who was killed during the rescue operation.

He commiserated with the deceased hunter’s family, describing the sacrifice made by the security personnel and local vigilantes as significant to the victims’ survival.

Meanwhile, the authorities said the 16 rescued victims comprised six adult males, six adult females and four children.

The victims are currently undergoing documentation and medical assessment before being reunited with their respective families.

The successful operation came amid renewed security concerns along major roads in parts of Kogi State, where armed criminals have continued to target motorists and commuters.

Security agencies have intensified joint operations in the affected areas, with local vigilantes also providing intelligence and support to conventional security personnel in efforts to combat kidnapping and other forms of criminality.

Rescued Kogi Kidnap Victims Recount Nearly 48 Hours in Captivity