The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has vowed to dismiss from service any of its personnel found extorting motorists or involved in any form of corrupt practices.
The Corps Public Education Officer, (CPEO) Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Bisi Kazeem, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Kazeem was reacting to a probe of some officers of the FRSC, after a surveillance team of the agency caught them in a suspected act of extortion of commuters.
The operatives, who were arrested in Sagamu, Ogun State, South-west Nigeria, have been recalled to face probe at the zonal headquarters of the agency in Lagos.
The tactical surveillance team of the agency made a futile attempt to arrest a civilian suspected of helping the officers to take and keep bribes.
The CPEO, who confirmed the arrest of the operatives and the on-going probe, said that the tactical surveillance team was recently set up by the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dauda Biu.
He said it was set up to fight bribery and extortion among officers of the agency.
“The corps marshal felt that reports concerning the issue of extortion were getting alarming and didn’t want to stop at internal mechanism.
“This necessitated the set up of the tactical surveillance team to ensure any form of bribery and corruption is curbed to the barest minimum.
“The members of the team arrested in Sagamu were recalled to the Lagos Zonal Headquarters at Ojodu-Isheri for proper investigation.
“If found culpable after investigation, they will be disciplined according to relevant sections of the Federal Road Safety Commission’s maintenance of discipline,” he said.
The FRSC spokesman warned civilians who normally conspire with FRSC teams in such nefarious and unpatriotic acts to desist henceforth or be ready to face the wrath of the law when apprehended.
Kazeem also called on the motoring public to resist the temptation of offering any kind of bribe whatsoever to FRSC patrol teams in any part of the country.
He said that culprits would be arrested and prosecuted in the court of law, so as to set a precedent that would deter other perpetrators. (NAN)
