Viral video of road marshals, tricycle rider face-off not fresh – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps has clarified that a video currently being circulated on the internet showing an erring tricycle rider who had a face-off with an FRSC patrol team is not a fresh incident.

It said it was the same old encounter in which the tricycle rider had a face-off with the FRSC personnel after he was found destroying a patrol vehicle along Sapele road in Benin, Edo State.

The corps in a statement signed by its spokesman, Bisi Kazeem, said that the incident did not just happen as purportedly misrepresented by social media operators.

It said that the video was recorded in Benin, along Benin/Sapele road on Thursday, 16 July, 2020 and the staff involved had been adequately disciplined in accordance with FRSC Regulations on Maintenance of Discipline at the instance of the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi and the outcome of the trial made public on 2 August, 2020.

Part of the statement read, “You would recall that the corps marshal had ordered the constitution of a disciplinary panel immediately the case was reported, to conduct a holistic investigation and trial of the seven-man patrol team involved in the incident. And at the end of the trial, the entire team was awarded reduction in rank.

The corps marshal, while approving the recommendation of the panel, also directed the immediate redeployment of the affected staff from the command, it stated.

It said the corps marshal also warned FRSC personnel to deploy maximum level of civility in arresting offenders rather than taking laws into their hands, adding that the management of the corps would continue in its steadfastness towards ensuring that its personnel exhibited the highest level of civility, professionalism and ethical values while relating with the public.

“As an organisation that does not condone indiscipline, the corps had to punish its staff first, for being uncivil towards the tricycle rider so as to deter other staff and compel them to be tolerant, more professional and gentlemanly while handling traffic violators.

“This measures were carried out irrespective of the fact that the rider was apprehended driving against the traffic, went berserk at the point of arrest, stripped himself naked, and started throwing obstacles on both personnel and the patrol vehicle and at some point, even dragged the patrol operatives in uniform without anyone assaulting him.

“All these happened in an attack that saw him destroy the staff’s uniform and did not only damage the windscreen of the patrol car, but disfigure the bonnet and other body parts with mud and stone.

“Having stated the obvious, the corps marshal wishes to admonish the perpetrators of such media propaganda to desist from heating up the polity at this sensitive moment of our national development, and fashion out measures that could enhance peaceful coexistence, rather than ignite anger and violence.”