- Mob killing of a civilian detracts from FRSC’s founding purpose
It is ironic that officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) may pose a danger to motorists and other road users. Four FRSC officials, who are reported to have beaten a man to death and buried his corpse in a shallow grave, have given the agency a bad name. It is alarming that Francis Igboh, Sunday Ogi, Samson Alolade and Joseph Onolade, attached to Abudu outpost in Edo State, allegedly killed one Odion Omafo Samuel, 36, in the line of duty.
According to a report, “Police sources said preliminary investigation showed that the late Odion was beaten to death by the FRSC men because he asked the driver he hired not to give them bribe. It was learnt that late Odion hired a driver of an Audi 80 car and they were flagged down at Okhuaihe Hill along Benin-Agbor Road, October 14, 2019.”
“A source said Odion joined the driver to put up a resistance against alleged extortion attempts by the FRSC officers and it led to fisticuffs. The driver was said to have fled the scene and Odion was beaten to pulp. He was reportedly rushed to a hospital and doctors confirmed him dead on arrival. The FRSC officials were said to have buried him in a bush.”
The report added: “Another police source said the driver was arrested for kidnapping after Odion did not return home. He was said to have told his story which led police to carry out detailed investigation and two of the four FRSC officials were arrested.”
“The two FRSC officers Francis Igboh and Samson Alolade took investigators to the bush where the decomposing body of Odion was evacuated. It was learnt that the suspects accused the late Odion of snatching their booking tickets.”
This is a story of extortion gone awry as well as brutality gone awry. But extortion and brutality should not have been introduced in the first place. The FRSC, founded in 1988, is supposed to focus on road safety administration and management.
It is noteworthy that the agency’s statutory functions include: “Making the highways safe for motorists and other road users as well as checking road worthiness of vehicles, recommending works and infrastructure to eliminate or minimise accidents on the highways and educating motorists and members of the public on the importance of road discipline on the highways.” In carrying out the agency’s responsibilities, its members have the power to arrest and prosecute persons reasonably suspected of having committed any traffic offence.
The tragic incident involving four FRSC men introduced a new and undesirable dimension to the agency’s operations. The brutality that resulted in Odion’s death is unimaginable. FRSC men are not expected to use violence, let alone the kind of violence that could kill. Their violent conduct is condemnable.
It is shocking that the FRSC men buried Odion to cover up their crime. That act compounded the crime. Spokesman for Edo State Police Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, was quoted as saying that “It is a case of murder.” The perpetrators of this crime should be prosecuted and punished to serve as a deterrent.
It is worrying that the FRSC has degenerated to the point where some of its men employ not only extortion in carrying out their duties, but also murderous brutality. The agency started well. In its early years, the FRSC’s leadership reflected commendable discipline and a high sense of responsibility. Indeed, the pioneering role of Nobelist Prof Wole Soyinka, who was the first head of the FRSC, earned the agency respect. The revolting incident in Edo State shows a slide that should be arrested.
