The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) have the legal authority to arrest traffic violators, depending on the state in which they work.
Bisi Kazeem, a Deputy Corps Marshal at FRSC, stated this in Abuja and enjoined motorists to cooperate fully with VIOs to improve road safety.
A unit commander of the FRSC in Abuja had previously stated that VIOs did not have the authority to arrest road traffic violations, such as driving overloaded vehicles or using cell phones while driving.
Dauda Biu, the Corps Marshal, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the unit commander to the national headquarters for administrative and disciplinary actions.
“The general public is advised to disregard the unit commander’s statement as it had no approval of the FRSC Corps Marshal and does not in any way reflect the corporate or general position of the FRSC.
“In line with sustaining the Corps’ resolve that road safety is a collective responsibility, we acknowledge the role VIOs play in complementing the responsibilities of the FRSC through the enforcement of traffic laws,’’ Kazeem stated.
He urged motorists to always obey all established traffic restrictions and to work with security services deployed to ensure peace and order on the highways, regardless of their corporate purpose.
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