The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has set up an investigation panel, to look into the circumstances surrounding a video that has gone viral, about its officer seen on the bonnet of a moving car.
Assistant Corps Marshal, Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, revealed this in a statement made available to Newsdiaryonline on Wednesday.
According to Kazeem, the Corps Marshal has ordered recall of the patrol team for investigation and disciplinary action against the officer.
The statement also said the erring driver would be prosecuted for his action.
“The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has been drawn to a viral video circulating in the social media where a patrol team member of the Corps was seen on the bonnet of a vehicle (Honda Odessey), whose driver was attempting to avoid arrest having been accosted by the team for committing the offence of seatbelt use violation.
“The incident occurred on Monday, July 6, 2020 along Ikorodu-Sagamu road, during a special joint patrol operations targeted at enforcing the Presidential Task Force directives on physical distancing and overloading amongst passengers to curb further spread of the coronavirus.
“The Corps Marshal has ordered the entire team to be recalled to Lagos State Sector Command for investigation and appropriate disciplinary actions in line with the Corps’ regulations; while the erring driver faces immediate prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“It is expedient to state that the Corps’ operational guidelines do not allow personnel to stand in front of any vehicle to effect arrest at the detriment of their own safety while stopping the vehicle.
“For emphasis, a staff does not need to commit suicide while stopping an offender that is already on a suicide mission, because every arrest of an offender is expected to be done within safe and professional limits in line with their training and operational guidelines and not to unnecessarily put their own lives in danger while attempting to arrest a fleeing offender.
“That is why the Corps has been deploying technology to track all cases of absconding recalcitrant drivers of this nature and bring them to justice,” the statement reads.
It warned warned drivers against disobeying “traffic laws and exhibit such dastardly acts that put the lives of law enforcement agents at risk.
“Consequently, the Corps will utilize every legal option within its powers to arrest and prosecute the absconding dangerous driver who having realised his folly, abandoned the vehicle and took to his heels,” Kazeem further stated.
