FRSC: Police escort threatened to shoot our officers for insisting on traffic rules

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says some of its officers were threatened by policemen who drove against traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Olusegun Ogungbemide, Lagos state FRSC sector commander, disclosed this while lamenting the gridlock caused by police officers along Ibafo area on the expressway.

According to NAN, Ogungbemide said the police officers, who were part of a convoy, had engaged in one-way driving, causing a major traffic jam.

He said the police officers threatened to shoot at the FRSC operatives who requested that they follow the right lane to ease the gridlock.

“The FRSC personnel on traffic control noticed a standstill traffic situation on the outward Lagos section of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and made efforts to track the cause of the heavy movement,” he said.

“The officers discovered that at Mountain Top University area, a convoy of four vehicles with police escort were driving against the flow of traffic, thereby causing gridlock within the narrowed lane.

“The FRSC team approached the police operatives, insisted that the vehicles turn back and follow their rightful lanes, but the drivers and the escort refused to obey their plea. Rather, one of the policemen pointed his rifle at our men and threatened to shoot at them.

“Also, another policeman sighted an FRSC officer who was recording the happenings around the scene. The policeman rushed to the officer with his rifle, snatched the phone and smashed it on the road, damaging the phone completely.”

According to him, the FRSC officers, however, insisted and the convoy eventually turned back to the right lane.

Ogungbemide also noted that Boboye Oyeyemi, FRSC corps marshal, has directed that the erring police officers be prosecuted for traffic violation.

He added that the FRSC would not tolerate attacks on its personnel while discharging their duties.