The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has ordered the immediate recall of the entire patrol team mentioned in a report of a viral publication by premium media outlet, alleging bribery, for thorough investigation and necessary sanction, the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) can report.

Being an organisation that uphold standards at all times, with established procedures to check indiscipline, corruption and patrol misconducts, if found guilty of bribery or other forms of corruption, the operatives will face severe disciplinary action, including dismissal and prosecution where necessary.

The Corps wishes to clarify some of the information contained in the publication as reported by Premium Times about arrest of its personnel by Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission for bribery sometimes in 2021.

However, what is more important is that the management of the Corps has never folded its arms in fighting the surge as it has always shown a high level of proactive approach towards getting rid of corrupt elements in the system. Over the years, the leadership of the Corps consistently demonstrated zero tolerance to corruption through a detailed anti-corruption policy and implementation process, dynamic and result oriented operational activities and continuous monitoring and evaluation of established . To this end, any operative arrested for any criminal offence, including extortion, shall not only be tried internally, disengaged, but handed over to the Police for prosecution where necessary.

This demonstration of zero tolerance to bribery and corruption led to the continual reorganization of the internal surveillance system to enable it cope with the guidelines of the Corps’ maintenance of discipline which is highly instrumental to the termination of the appointment of many of the Operatives of the Corps found guilty of bribery and corruption, while others face prosecution in the law court.

Even with the successes recorded via her internal regulatory mechanism, the Corps has continued to be resolute in its stand against sharp practices, as such, the quest to boost the successes recorded through previous efforts and the need to achieve total sanity after realizing that the situation deserved a more radical, pragmatic and multi-prong approach, the Federal Road Safety Corps went into synergy with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) for collaboration to stage a Joint Surveillance Special Operation in the year 2021.

The joint operation targeted at arresting the bad eggs in the Corps who by their actions, greed and high-handedness, have
made mockery of the hard earned reputation of the Corps before the general public.

That Surveillance team in its first year arrested over seventy (70) FRSC Staff in two tactical swoop alone, apart from other pockets of arrest done through the instrumentalities of internal
regulatory mechanism of the Corps. In addition to the arrest, prima facie cases have been established against the personnel to serve as deterrence to others who might be tempted to tore the same line.

In her quest to sustain the tempo, the new Leadership of the Corps intensified its efforts in the fight against sharp practices which it deems as more imperative at this crucial time, seing the untiring effort put in place, the huge economic resources and intellectual energy invested by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration in the fight against corruption.

Interestingly, to further intensify our efforts in the fight against corruption, the
Corps was recorded as the first government established agency to collaborate with the Akin Fadeyi Foundation and the Mac Author Foundation, both, renown International Non Governmental Organisations
of great repute to launch the Flag-It App; an App developed for reporting any case of extortion, bribery or disservice perpetuated by
any of the Corps Operatives and many entries of complaints have been received and properly treated.

Only recently, FRSC under the leadership of the present Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed launched a Mobile Application to intensify its fight against corruption and bribery, as well as reward high flyers in the system. Part of the functionality of the App include amongst others, options for reporting erring personnel who compromise established standards in the course of their duties. This to a large extent has reduced misconducts as the combination of the Flag-It App and the Mobile App have put a strong check on the personnel.

This clarification is a call for a collective action as the Corps Marshal beckons on the press and the public never to relent in helping the Corps achieve greater heights in the fight against extortion and sharp practices in the system, by leveraging the two applications to report any of such cases noticed on the road for immediate action.

Residents of Elelu village in Erah community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State have banned the sale and consumption of beef following the alleged incessant kidnapping and killings of their kinsmen by suspected herdsmen.

The residents disclosed this during a protest at the community at the weekend.

The protesters made up of both young and old, also threatened to relocate to Edo State Government House for alternative shelter if the State government does not urgently come to their aid as the community is no longer inhabitable.

The residents in their large numbers with belongings on their heads, however, called on the state government to come to their rescue from the hands of suspected herdsmen who have continuously invaded their farmlands and kidnapped their fathers, husbands and children.

They alleged that in the last two weeks, about seven persons in the community have been kidnapped and killed.

Speaking, the concerned community leaders, youth representatives and vigilante leaders said the protest was also to mourn and honour the lives of their fallen heroes killed by suspected kidnappers.

The spokesperson of the group, Fred Enaikhe Aleburu gave the names of the fallen heroes such as Edekin Ighalo, Abdullahi and Victor Ogedengbe, a Vigilante commander.

Aleburu said the deceased lost their lives defending the community.

According to him, these courageous men stood against armed herdsmen who brought terror to the peaceful land.

“They shielded our mothers, our children, and our farmlands and for their sacrifice, they were murdered in cold blood.

“As we speak, the body of Victor Ogedengbe still lies in the mortuary. Yet the violence continues.

“In just the past two weeks, seven of our children have been kidnapped, with one still in captivity as we speak.

“Our forests have been turned into den of terror, criminal strongholds where ransom is demanded and innocent victims are kept under inhumane conditions.

“Our mothers can no longer go to the farm. Our youth are hunted. Our elderly live in fear. The lands that once sustained us now lie in waste and silence.

“This is not just insecurity, this is a deliberate war on our survival. This is a slow genocide.

“We are also here to protest hunger. Our people now suffer because they cannot farm. Our markets are empty. Our homes are filled with helplessness.

“What was once a self-sufficient and productive community is now battling starvation and fear.

“And so, today, we rise to say with one voice that ‘Enough Is Enough,’” he lamented.

He, however, called on the government to fulfil its constitutional duty to protect its citizens.

Aleburu said the community demanded immediate establishment of permanent security checkpoints on all roads and entry points leading into and out of Erah.

They also demanded a full-scale investigation and comprehensive flushing of forests to root out and eliminate all alleged terrorist elements hiding within the community.

“A sustained and visible security presence across our villages, to ensure long-term peace and protection.

“Emergency intervention to address food insecurity, including support for displaced farmers and restoration of safe farming activities.

“If our villages are no longer safe, we will sleep at the doorstep of leadership until we are heard and protected. Our lives are not negotiable.

“Furthermore, as a solemn response to our collective suffering and to honor our fallen defenders, the people of Erah hereby declare a permanent ban on the consumption and the sale of beef in our community.

“The killer herdsmen who hide behind cattle have taken too much from us. Our lives, our food, our peace. We will not continue to support a system built on our blood and tears,” he stated.

Also speaking, Chief Julius Unuigbe alleged that herdsmen have invaded their bushes looking for people to kidnap or kill.

Unuigbe said the people no longer sleep with their eyes closed.On his part, Joseph Edairu, one of the protesters lamented that one of his senior brothers, his friend’s two sisters and a Taraba man living in the community were recently kidnapped by suspected herdsmen.

Edairu, added that uptil now the abducted Taraba man is nowhere to be found.

“This is the reason why we came out to cry to the Edo State Government that they should come and us drive those kidnappers away from our bush,” he said.

On her part, Mrs Eunice Ighalo, added that ,”we can no longer go to the farm or river and we are now seriously living in hunger and poverty, that is why we decided that we will go to Edo State Government House to protest there.

Blessing Ogedegbe, wife to Victor Ogedenge, one of the deceased, while lamenting that the corpse of her husband killed in February 2025 is still at the mortuary, appealed to the state government to provide her with a job to enable her cater for her children.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Dr. Anuma Ogbonnaya Nlia, has commissioned a staff clinic with digital equipment to provide free health care delivery to all staff of the Ministry to enhance their productivity at work.

The Clinic, which was proposed three years ago, accorsing to a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), was actualized by the present management led by Dr. Anuma Ogbonnaya Nlia, which is located on the 2nd floor of Phase III, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary pointed out that the Ministry, under the leadership of Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, would ensure evidence-based medical care free of charge to all staff of the Ministry and their children to promote efficiency at the workplace.

“Clinic is part of the welfare for staff in any ministries and is in line with pillar six of the 2025 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 25), approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in December 2021.

“We noticed that if staff go to the hospital, they spend a long time or a whole day, which affects productivity in the office and the need to provide a clinic that would provide health care delivery for improvement of productivity that would enable effectiveness and efficiency in the office environment,” the Permanent Secretary stressed.

Speaking on the necessity of visiting the clinic when ill, the Per Sec said, “If you are sick, do not stay at home. Come to the office, take time out to come to the clinic, we have a doctor, nurses, a matron, an attendant, a pharmacist, and a medical laboratory scientist, and we have provided the latest medical equipment to ensure our staff have the best treatment they can get.”

The Clinic is equipped with digital equipment for clinical tests, medical staff, and numerous drugs to be provided to staff free of charge.