Metro
FRSC Patrol Operatives Involved in Alleged Bribery Scandal Recalled, Investigation Begins
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.
The Senate has brought forward the screening of newly appointed Service Chiefs to Wednesday, October 29, reversing its earlier decision to conduct the exercise next week.
The announcement came shortly after Senate President, Godwill Akpabio, read a separate correspondence from President Bola Tinubu, seeking the confirmation of appointment of Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
Akpabio said the change was necessary to enable the military chiefs to assume their duties immediately.
President Bola Tinubu had urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the confirmation process to ensure continuity and effective coordination of the nation’s security architecture.
Following the new schedule, the Committee of the Whole is expected to conduct the screening exercise during plenary on Wednesday.
A few days ago, Tinubu reshuffled the military hierarchy. Tinubu removed General Christopher Musa, with Oluyede (a former Chief of Army Staff) replacing him as the Chief of Defence Staff.
He, however, retained Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye as the Chief of Defence Intelligence.
The rejigging, according to presidential aide Sunday Dare, was due to “the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture”.
“All appointments take immediate effect,” he wrote.
But critics have faulted the rejig of the military hierarchy, with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC “as an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy. In the light of developments in our neighbourhood of Chad and the Sahel States, we are gravely concerned”) asking President Tinubu to come out clean on the reason for the move.
“Our position remains, therefore, that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened,” the ADC wrote in a statement by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi.
Senator Ned Nwoko on Sunday said he feels sorry for men with one wife, insisting that polygamy provides men greater stability and balance.
The lawmaker representing Delta North, who made the comment while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, also addressed recent allegations of domestic violence against him by his actress wife, Regina Daniels.
When asked how he copes with managing four wives—something many men find nearly impossible- Nwoko hesitated for a while before reacting.
“That is a different topic for discussion on another day. Yes, every man should do that. The example I give is this: just imagine telling you to stand on one foot or leg. You know how difficult it is.
“But to stand on two, three, four is much more balanced. That’s just the example I give. So I feel sorry for those who have one wife because it’s difficult to stand on one leg,” he stated.
When reminded that the Holy Bible does not endorse polygamy, Nwoko countered, “The Old Testament does. I am a man of faith. But that’s not what we are here for.”
Asked whether he had any regrets about his marital choices, the senator shook his head.
“No, I don’t have any regret. I will do the same thing again. Of course, that’s the way it should be. You should marry who you want to marry,” he defended stoutly.
On the domestic violence allegations trailing him, Nwoko dismissed them outright, saying, “No, come on. You know I am not a violent person. I respect my wives. I love them and my kids.”
His comments came just hours after Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, his estranged wife, flaunted a newly acquired mansion on social media amid reports of a marital crisis.
In a post on her Instagram page, Daniels shared photos and videos of the property with the caption, “In my house, I am a Queen! I needed a roof over my head, so I got this for me and my family.”
The post followed a viral video from October 18 showing the actress in tears outside her Abuja residence, lamenting alleged abuse.
“In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much,” she said in the footage.
The couple’s six-year marriage, once the subject of public fascination due to their wide age gap, has recently degenerated into a full-blown crisis now playing out before millions of Nigerians on social media.
The Punch
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, raided Proxy Night club at 7, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where a drug party was going on, and arrested over 100 suspects.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, while making this known, said the suspects arrested include the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, who was taken into custody for interrogation.
“Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October, in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
