By ebosele@hotmail.com
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has launched a nationwide Zonal Special Intervention Patrol (ZSIP), deploying 12 intelligence-driven operations across its Zonal Commands in a coordinated effort to tackle the leading causes of road traffic crashes and improve safety on Nigerian roads.
City Business News reports that the special operations, which commence on July 20, are tailored to address the peculiar road safety challenges in each zone through targeted enforcement, public enlightenment, stakeholder engagement and collaboration with other security agencies.
The operations include Operation Fushin Zuma (Anger of the Bee) in Kaduna, Operation Ride Safe in Bauchi, Operation Shark Smile in Port Harcourt, Operation ABO (Safe Passage) in Lagos, Operation Sauka Lafia in Abuja, Operation Kasolayo in Ilorin, Operation Kwushi Ihe Mberede in Enugu, Operation Sanity in Osogbo, Operation Total Compliance in Benin, Operation Harbin Kunama (Scorpion Sting) in Yola, Operation Hadarin Kalangu in Jos, and Operation Daidaita Loading in Zone 10.
According to a statement issued by the Deputy Corps Commander and Corps Public Education Officer, Osondu Ohaeri, the initiative was approved by the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, to enable every Zonal Command tackle its unique crash trends through intensive enforcement, sustained public education, rescue preparedness and enhanced operational visibility.
The statement explained that the intervention is designed to achieve measurable reductions in road traffic crashes by focusing on traffic offences that have continued to claim lives on Nigerian roads.
Describing the initiative as a major shift from conventional enforcement, the Corps Marshal said the operations are intelligence-led and carefully designed to confront dangerous road user behaviours responsible for avoidable deaths and injuries.
He disclosed that the exercise would involve the massive deployment of personnel to highways, motor parks, loading points and other critical transport corridors. The patrols will also be supported by sustained public awareness campaigns, stakeholder engagement and close collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure effective enforcement and prompt emergency response.
Mohammed warned motorists, commercial vehicle operators and fleet owners to comply strictly with traffic regulations, stressing that offenders would face firm but professional enforcement in line with the Corps’ statutory mandate.
He, however, reassured Nigerians that the operations are not intended to punish law-abiding road users but to protect lives and property. He urged the public to cooperate with patrol teams by obeying traffic rules, avoiding dangerous practices such as overloading and mixed loading, and reporting reckless driving and other unsafe road behaviours.
The Corps Marshal also appealed to transport operators to embrace voluntary compliance, noting that road safety is a shared responsibility requiring the collective efforts of government, transport stakeholders and all road users.
He affirmed the Corps’ commitment to reducing crashes across the country, declaring that every zonal operation has a clear mission and every patrol is dedicated to safeguarding lives on Nigerian roads.
