FRSC arrests 79 traffic offenders in Akwa Ibom

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it arrested 79 road traffic offenders in Akwa Ibom between Dec.1 and Dec. 24.

The FRSC Sector Commander in Akwa Ibom, Mr Oga Ochi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Sunday.

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Ochi said that the offenders were arrested for traffic offences which included overloading, driving with worn-out tyres, driving without driver’s licence, and unavailable vehicle papers.

He said that the traffic offenders arrested were made to pay fines as prescribed by the law.

“The offenders have been made to pay various fines as prescribed by the law; we also gave warnings where necessary to some who drove against traffic.

“We want to warn that when your vehicle is not road worthy, you don’t put such vehicles on the road,” he said.

The sector commander said that personnel of the agency was made to work extra hours during the Christmas celebration to enforce traffic rules and ensure safety on the roads.

Ochi warned drivers against setting unrealistic targets for themselves during festivals, adding that this was another cause of road crashes.

He reminded motorists that the second wave of COVID-19 ravaging the world was still on, adding that they should adhere to the safety protocols.

“Fleet operators must adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols as directed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

“Our focus is on overloading as we are into the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know that there has been sudden rise in the number of cases in some states of the federation and we are making sure that there is compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

“That is why we emphasised that no vehicle should be overloaded at this time. For those that are still overloading their vehicles, we are there to enforce.

“Where you carry excess passengers, you are made to drop the excess passengers.

“Our major problem has been private operators who are not using designated parks.

“That is why we strengthened our enforcement to make sure those categories of motorists are made to comply with COVID-19 protocols,” he said. (NAN)