The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced the arrest of 1,691 traffic offenders for various offences, including overloading, mix-loading and use of bogus diplomatic number plates in a statewide enforcement operation.
The arrests followed a special intervention effort codenamed *Operation Guduma* concurrently across important transport arteries in 11 states of the federation.
The FRSC stated the exercise was intended to stop unsafe road activities and fake vehicle identification schemes which are severe hazards to public safety and national security.
The breakdown of the arrests saw 683 offenders arrested for overload and mix-loading and 1,003 motorists detained for various number plate-related offences. Also five individuals were held with bogus diplomatic number plates.
The Corps said the probe had revealed widespread abuse of unapproved association number plates and other fraudulent vehicle registration procedures typically used to elude law enforcement inspection.
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Commenting on the outcome of the experiment, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, noted that the findings were frightening, stressing that such activities cause huge risks on Nigerian roadways.
“The operation has exposed serious loopholes that can lead to road crashes, facilitate criminal activities and erode public confidence in the country’s vehicle identification system,” he said.
“The abuse of diplomatic number plates and the continued loading violations are not only traffic offences but are direct threats to public safety and national security,” warned the Corps Marshal.
He said the FRSC would continue to apply intelligence-driven enforcement techniques to uncover and smash criminal behaviors across the country’s highways.
The inspection also uncovered a number of vehicles carrying overweight loads and operating with containers that were poorly secured, situations that might easily result in deadly crashes and massive economic losses, the Corps said.
Mohammed emphasized the agency’s zero-tolerance stance on road safety offenses, stressing that compliance with traffic regulations is non-negotiable.
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“It’s a well-known fact that every preventable crash averted means lives saved, families spared and economic productivity preserved,” he said.
The FRSC, buoyed by the outcome of the operation, has declared plans to expand and institutionalise Operation Guduma throughout critical traffic corridors nationwide.
The Corps also stated that it would enhance cooperation with other security and law enforcement agencies to guarantee offenders are not only arrested but also prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The newest enforcement drive comes on the heels of renewed efforts by the FRSC to decrease road traffic crashes, ensure compliance with safety laws and bolster the integrity of vehicle registration and identification systems across the country.
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