By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Nigeria says its attention has been drawn to a video currently being circulated on the social media, showing an erring tricycle rider, who went on a face-off with FRSC patrol team, after being caught destroying patrol vehicle along Sapele road, in Benin, Edo State.
In a statement copy of which sent to The DEFENDER by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Bisi Kazeem, an Assistant Corps Marshal, the Corps expressed its wishes to inform the general public that the video is old, showing an incident that did not just happen as claimed by the social media operators.
ACM Kazeem recalled that the video was recorded in Benin, along Benin/Sapele road on Thursday, July, 16, 2020 and that the staff involved have 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.
According to him, as an organisation that does not condone indiscipline, the Corps had to punished the said staff for been 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.
However, a Magistrate Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State on Monday, Jan. 11 2021, sentenced the culprit, Mr Adeshina Adeyemo, the tricycle operator to 3 months imprisonment for attacking the patrol operatives and damaging of patrol vehicle belonging to the FRSC, the FRSC Spokesman said.
Kazeem said that Adeyemo was arraigned with a case file number MEV/117C/2020 before His Worship, Snr Magistrate F. Ojehumen of the Evbuoriaria Magistrate Court B on a 2 count charge bordering on conducting himself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace; and for maliciously damaging FRSC patrol vehicle during patrol operations along Sapele-Benin road on 16 July, 2020.
He recalled that on the first count charge, the accused was to pay the sum of N5,000 or 1 month imprisonment and N41,000 or 2 months imprisonment for the second charge and both sentence are to run concurrently. The Defendant who failed to meet the option of fine was taken into custody at the Nigeria Correctional Service in Benin City.
Reacting to the old trending video, the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi admonished the perpetrators of such media propaganda to desist from heating up the polity at this sensitive moment of the national development, and fashion out measures that could enhance peaceful coexistence, rather than ignite anger and violence.
