The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has refuted allegations that its personnel were responsible for a crash that occurred on February 1 in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
FRSC spokesman, Bisi Kazeem, said in a statement on Sunday that the crash involved a Toyota Hiace with registration number (AA 396 RBC) and an unregistered (Jincheng) motorcycle said to be overloaded with three pillions.
The spokesman said the Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, on hearing the news of the crash, immediately directed the constitution of an investigative panel to ascertain its true cause and severity.
Mr Kazeem said the panel made discoveries which have been verified to be the fact about the incident.
“The summary of the investigation is that, the patrol team alleged to have caused the crash did not at any time chase after the vehicle; neither did they chase the bike in question. The point is, and still remains that the team was actually detailed on patrol operations on that route on the day of the unfortunate incident, carrying out their legitimate duty until an emergency call came through from a senior staff of Parrot FM who reported a lone crash that had occurred along Ogbomoso-Odo Oba road involving a tanker that fell on the highway,” the statement said.
“Being an organisation that places much value to saving lives and creating a safer motoring environment and as part of its corporate obligation to respond to crashes within five minutes, the team immediately rushed down to the crash scene to carry out rescue services.
“While on their way to the crash scene, they met a crash in which they eventually evacuated two critically injured persons to the hospital while leaving one of our personnel to ensure the safety of the vehicle and properties therein with a lone corpse from the crash.”
The spokesman also said the FRSC does not chase after vehicles “as the corps has its professional ethics guiding the conduct of its personnel on patrol operations.”
He added: “For emphasis, the Corps is still committed to achieving its corporate mandate of eradicating road traffic crashes and creating a safer motoring environment in compliance with global best practices and rules of engagement. As such members of the public are called to always hearken to established traffic laws and obey law enforcement agents on the road and stop attacking them each time they are on emergency rescue.”
