As part of strategies to arrest the growing trend of speed related road accidents within the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State, the Federal Road Safety Corps will from 18 January, 2021 commence a Special Monthly Patrol code named ‘’Operation RAIDS’’, urging motorists to obey traffic rules.
Assistant Corps Marshal, Jonas Agwu, who is the Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone RS7HQ Abuja, said Operation RAIDS becomes imperative as fallout of a review of the 2020 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) Report which identified overloading and excessive speed as causes of most the accidents.
In a statement signed by SRC Enenue Ochepo, Supretendent Route Commander quoted
ACM Agwu as saying the new patrol initiative is in line with the Corps’ statutory mandate to enforce overloading and excessive speed rules, thus all commercial drivers are advised to avoid overloading and also install speed limit device in their vehicles,” he added.
The ACM observed that 455 persons lost their lives in auto crash within the Zone which comprises of FCT/Niger sector commands in 2020.
He further observed that a total of 1,434 road accidents were recorded during the period, noting that 8448 people were involved while 3585 people sustained various degrees of injuries.
The analysis further revealed that the FCT accounted for 1042 crashes, 248 deaths and 2385 injuries, while Niger States accounted for 303 crashes and 207 deaths as well as 1200 injuries.
The prevalent causative factors behind these crashes, according to the review, were overloading and excessive speed.
“The new Zonal strategies is ACM Agwu stated.
This approach, according to him, “is a proactive step to ensure that RTCs are reduced to the barest minimal in the year 2021 and beyond.”
The Zonal Commanding Officer appealed to motorists in the FCT and Niger State to obey traffic rules and promote safe driving culture.
He reiterated the Zone’s determination to raise the bar of its enforcement through operations RAIDS with complimentary collaboration with the Nigeria Army, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense corps as well as other sister agencies and stakeholders.
He noted also that the enforcement will be strengthened by the mobile courts to try recalcitrant offenders.
Meanwhile the Zone has also concluded arrangements to hold town hall meetings with stakeholders and unions to sensitize them on the forthcoming operations RAIDS.
Operation RAIDS stands for Road Accident Immune Delusion Syndrome. It will hold fortnightly all through 2021. The aim of the Special Operation is to checkmate overloading and excessive speed in the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State. Other infractions that will form the focus of the Operations are use of phone while driving, and driving against the flow of traffic among others.
