Federal Road Safety Corps has said there was a 27 percent reduction in the number of road crashes that occurred across the nation during the Eid-el-Fitri holiday, compared to the number recorded in the same period in 2019.
It also said that a total of 5,511 offenders were arrested for committing 6,858 offences between May 11 and 17, 2021.
The Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, who disclosed this, stated that a total of 92 road traffic crashes (RTC) were recorded, as against the total of 117 in the same period in 2019, representing 27 per cent decrease.
He attributed the reduction in road traffic crashes to several coordinated factors, among which are the establishment of Station Offices in almost all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria; intensified public enlightenment and sensitization campaigns held nationwide in collaboration with key stakeholders in the transportation sector, and effective patrol operations.
According to him, the Corps covered 1,575 routes, impounded 3,051 vehicles, and apprehended 5511 offenders.
Quoting the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, Kazeem stated that the Corps now has a wider coverage due to the establishment of more FRSC commands, outposts, roadside clinics and Zebra points which now feed in reports from different routes that were hitherto not thoroughly covered.
Oyeyemi also revealed that the comparison made with year 2019 period is due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 which halted conventional operations.
He stressed that the tempo in the operational and advocacy front would be sustained to ensure continuous decrease in number of road crashes, number of persons involved, as well as decrease in the number of persons killed by crashes on the roads.
“The Corps is advancing steadily towards the actualisation of its corporate mandate of creating a safer motoring environment and eradicating RTC on our roads.
“This tempo will surely be sustained as all efforts have been adequately put in place to make the roads safer for all,” he said.
The Corps Marshal had earlier directed that the 2021 Sallah special patrol should cover 45 corridors, including but not limited to Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi; Mokwa-Birnin Yero-Zaria; Maiduguri-Biu-Numan-Jalingo-Wukari; Akwanga-Lafiya-Makurdi; Jos-Bauchi-Gombe; Katsina-Kano-Wudil-Dutse-Azare-Potiskum, Kaduna-Saminaka-Jos, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, Okene-Ogori-Isua-Owo. Others were Makurdi-Otukpo-Obollo Afor-9th Mile; Asaba-Abraka-Ughelli-Warri corridor; Ibadan-Ogere-Sagamu; Sagamu-Mowe-Lagos; Abuja-Lokoja-Okene; Lokoja-Auchi-Benin; Onitsha-Njaba-Owerri-Umuahia, Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomosho; and Ibadan-Ogere-Shagamu.
