ByJoseph Edegbo :
Reports from the Federal Road Safety Corps say a total of 405 people representing 47% were rescued without injuries from 131 crashes recorded nationwide during the Easter celebration from 14th to 19th April.
A total of 857 people were involved in the crashes.
There was a significant increase in the number of people rescued without injury during the period under review due to the wider coverage given to the operations.
The Corps Public Education Officer of FRSC, Bisi Kazeem who made this known in a statement, explained that 275 people were rescued without injuries in the same period in 2021, while 405 were rescued during the 2022 Easter special patrol without injuries, which marks 47% improvement from 2022 record.
However, he noted that the number of persons rescued with injuries from road traffic crashes during the celebration period was 84.
In the same vein, he said, from the total number of 131 crashes recorded in 2022, 36 were fatal crashes, 72 were serious, while 23 were minor.
He added that of the 857 persons involved in road traffic crashes during the 2022 Easter celebration period, a total of 84 people were killed as 213 Vehicles were involved in road traffic crashes across the nation during the period as follows: 15 tanker/trailers, 28 trucks, 40 buses, 85 cars, 35 motorcycles, 5 Tricycles, and 5 pickups.
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, road side clinics and Zebra points who now feed in reports from different routes that were hitherto not thoroughly covered. He stressed that the increase in number of road crashes, increase in the number of persons involved, and increase in the number of persons killed is due to the reports that emanated from the new FRSC formations.
It will be recalled that Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi had earlier directed that the 2022 Easter special patrol to cover 50 corridors which includes but not limited to Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi; Mokwa-Birnin Yero-Zaria; Maiduguri-Biu-Numan-Jalingo-Wukari; Lafia-Langtang-Pankshin-Jos; Abuja-Lokoja-Okene; Lokoja-Auchi-Benin; Onitsha-Njaba-Owerri-Umuahia, Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomosho; and Ibadan-Ogere-Shagamu.
In view of the directive of the Corps Marshal which is a move away from other years where the focus was on critical corridors, Kazeem noted that the Corps intensified its Patrol operations and Enlightenment campaigns by giving adequate coverage to all 50 routes across Nigeria.
Analysing the Corps’ records for the 2022 Easter special patrol with 2021, a total of 6634 offenders were apprehended in 2022; while a total of 8097 offences were recorded in 2022; and a total of 3,187 impoundments were made.
The Corps also revealed that with respect to Mobile Court sittings that was spread across Nigeria during this period, a total of 134 persons were arraigned in 2022 Easter Special patrol, 88 offenders were convicted with option of fine, 21 were imprisoned and 20 persons got discharged and acquitted in 2022.
Further to this, Kazeem disclosed that in 2022, enlightenment through Motor park rallies and Radio Programmes increased tremendously.
Kazeem noted that the Corps did not record any assault on its operatives and this could be attributed to enhanced stakeholders collaboration and engagement, increase in Public Enlightenment, and the introduction of the body and vehicle camera for operatives.
