Federal Road Saftey Corps will begin to carry firearms in order to effectively curb crime and excesses of road users in Nigeria. Akinfolarin Mayowa, The Chairman of the House of Representatives on FRSC this at the Corps’ 2021 budget performance, and defense at Abuja.
The legislator noted that provisions in the 1992 Act of Federal Road Saftey Corps had allowed the corps to bear arms, however, this had not been implemented by the Federal Government. Senator Akinfolarin said that the Committee would engage Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and also write the President in order to implement the 1992 Act.
The decision of FRSC members may be unconnected to the spate of killings by traffic officers by unknown gunmen, highway robbers, among others. In September, unknown gunmen killed two Federal Road Saftey Corps officers and allegedly kidnapped 10 FRSC men. This disrupted the scheduled training of 26 officers from Sokoto and Kebbi Commands who were heading to the FRSC training centre in Abuja.
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The Journal engaged a Corps Education Officer in Abuja who informed us that the Legislators sympathized with the FRSC because of the vandalisation of offices, equipment, and the threat to the safety of officers when the hoodlums hijacked the EndSars Protests. The CPEO noted that the 1992 FRSC Act had long been in existence, but it would take the approval and supply of arms by the Federal Government for the road traffic agency to use fire arms.
Femi Morgan
Photo Credit: Daily Trust