FRSC officials under investigation for alleged extortion after Premium Times’ report

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has ordered an immediate investigation of officials accused of extorting N100,000 from a driver.

Mr Mohammed gave the directive in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja by the FRSC spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Extortion allegation

PREMIUM TIMES, on Wednesday, reported how a Nigerian journalist, Agba Jalingo, in a Facebook post, accused officials of the corps in Calabar, Cross River State, of extorting the money from a driver for not wearing a seatbelt.

“This Road Safety team also arrested a vehicle yesterday in Calabar and extorted N100k from the driver for not wearing a seat belt.

“The money was extorted through the private account of one Zeal Nkere Richard before the vehicle was released. That’s the vehicle they used,” Mr Jalingo wrote, attaching a picture of the road safety patrol vehicle and an Opay payment receipt as evidence.

The receipt showed that the payment was executed on Tuesday at 10:53 a.m.

We’ve commenced investigation – Cross Sector Commander

The FRSC Sector Commander in Cross River State, J. W. Toby, had told this newspaper on Wednesday that the command had commenced an investigation into the matter.

“We have zero tolerance for things like this. They (operatives) are being investigated. We have extant rules. At the end of the day, if they are found guilty, whatever the punishment is, they would face it,” Mr Toby said.

“For now, let’s keep our fingers crossed and wait for a petition from the person (driver). If the investigation is proven to be true, there are laws on the ground to hold them,” he added.

FRSC headquarters recalls accused officials for investigation

Citing the PREMIUM TIMES report, the FRSC Corps Marshal ordered the immediate recall of the officials for an investigation.

“As an organisation that upholds standards at all times, we have procedures to check indiscipline, corruption, and patrol misconduct.

“If found guilty, the operatives will face severe disciplinary actions, including dismissal and prosecution.”

This newspaper had also reported how 15 FRSC officials were arrested in 2021 through a joint security operation led by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for allegedly extorting money from motorists on highways across the country.

The officials were arrested simultaneously in Adamawa, Gombe, Ondo, and Osun states, with the extorted money.

Reacting to this, the spokesperson reiterated the corps’ “consistent efforts” in combating corruption, stating that it has been addressing such cases.

“The management has adopted proactive measures to eliminate corrupt elements through a comprehensive anti-corruption policy, dynamic operational strategy, and regular monitoring.

“Any staff arrested for criminal offences, including extortion, would be tried internally, disengaged, and handed over to the Police where necessary,” he said.

The FRSC corps marshal stressed that its zero-tolerance stance had led to the dismissal and prosecution of many operatives found guilty of bribery and related offences.

“In 2021, the Corps collaborated with the Department of State Services and ICPC to launch a Joint Surveillance Special Operation, targeting erring personnel.

“That operation, in its first year, resulted in the arrest of over 70 FRSC staff members in two coordinated actions.

“Prima facie cases were established against those personnel to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said his administration was intensifying efforts to curb corruption, especially in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive.

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He also highlighted FRSC’s partnership with the Akin Fadeyi Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation to launch the “Flag-It App”.

The app, Mr Mohammed said, allows the public to report cases of extortion, bribery, or disservice by any FRSC operative.

“Many complaints received through the app have been duly treated.

“Recently, a new mobile application was launched to further combat bribery and reward exceptional service.

“The app includes a function for reporting misconduct, complementing the Flag-It App in ensuring personnel accountability,” he said, urging the media to continue supporting the corps by reporting misconduct of officials.