Dipo Olowookere
Another set of 26 officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were against arrested for allegedly extorting money from road users on Nigerian highways.
The suspects were picked up by operatives of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in collaboration with some agencies of the federal government.
The other agencies involved in the operations tagged Operation Tranquillity included the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Department of State Security (DSS).
Part of the operation in Owerri, Imo State, also led to the arrest of a man, who was alleged to be the custodian of the proceeds of extortion. The operation which is the second one in three months since the beginning of 2019, was also conducted simultaneously across four states of the federation between October 2 and October 5, 2019 following the receipt of a complaint from the management of the FRSC of extortion activities by some members of its patrol teams nationwide.
The FRSC management had, in the complaint, observed that incidents of extortion were rampant on highways across the country. The just concluded operation was conducted in the four states of Imo, Zamfara, Ondo and Yobe which were not part of the earlier operation carried out in six states.
Nine FRSC officials and a man who is a civilian in Owerri, Imo State; eight in Kaura-Namoda, Zamfara State; five in Ore, Ondo State; and four in Potiskum, Yobe State were arrested respectively on roads across the states.
Various sums of money were allegedly found on the arrested corps officials and the civilian during the operation before they were taken into ICPC custody.
All the officials and the civilian arrested have been granted administrative bail pending their prosecution by the commission at the conclusion of investigations.
