The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has established a Joint Task Force dedicated to apprehending and prosecuting trailer drivers found conveying passengers, in a bid to curb the escalating incidents of traffic violations associated with this practice.
Comprising members from various law enforcement agencies including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, State Traffic Management Agencies, as well as operatives of the FRSC, the Joint Task Force is supplemented by representatives from transport unions.
This initiative follows a tragic road traffic accident on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway resulting in the loss of 10 lives, involving a DAF Trailer allegedly due to factors such as excessive speed, overloading, and driver fatigue.
According to Jonas Agwu, the FRSC spokesperson, the phased inauguration of the Joint Task Force commenced on Saturday at the Kakau Toll Gate, Kaduna State, focusing initially on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.
Dauda Biu, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, underscored the pivotal role of the Joint Task Force in ensuring road safety and maintaining traffic discipline.
Biu, who was represented by the Assistant Corps Marshal, Federal Operations, Zubairu Mato said, “In the last couple of months, the highways have witnessed incidences of road traffic crashes involving trailers loaded with goods, animals and persons.
“In most of these crashes, several innocent people who were seen perching on top of goods in such vehicles were killed, and the commodities being conveyed were also damaged extensively.
“In order to reverse the ugly trend, the JTF members were directed to embark on effective special patrol operations as well as conduct Mobile Court operations on the commissioned route. They are to also ensure immediate prosecution of apprehended offenders.”
The exercise would be carried out across major corridors nationwide.
Consequently, owners of trailers were admonished to warn their drivers against this traffic violation as the corps would not spare anyone caught in the act.
The statement further revealed that a fatal crash occurred on Saturday in Rinji, Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The crash involved a Mercedes Benz with registration number AK808AA and a Volkswagen Opel Vectra also with registration number TFB675RC.
Out of the eight persons in the vehicles, four victims, comprising of one female adult and three male adults, were killed while the remaining 4 victims survived the crash with different degrees of injuries.
The FRSC rescue team recovered the sum of N1,532,100 belonging to the victims.
