By David Olalekan.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has arrested 37 officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, for extorting money from motorists.
The ICPC, in a joint operation with the Department of State Service (DSS) which was carried out simultaneously across the six geo-political zones of the federation, also nabbed five persons believed to be agents of the rogue corps officials.
The Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, made the disclosure in Abuja yesterday, during a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mrs Okoduwa revealed that the operation was prompted by a complaint to the commission by the FRSC management who decried incidents of extortion of money from motorists on the highways by its patrol teams.
She said: “The FRSC management had, in the complaint to the Commission, observed that incidents of extortion were rife in the six states of Kaduna, Bauchi, Abia, Rivers, Kogi and Ogun.
“Based on this, the ICPC-led team went into action and identified the notorious spots in each of the aforementioned states, which include Aba in Abia State; Ahoada, Ajaokuta, Itori, Toro and Gwantu, which are located in Rivers, Kogi, Ogun, Bauchi and Kaduna States respectively.
“Findings from the Joint Inter-Agency Team indicated that various sums of money were found on the arrested Corps officials during the sting operations before they were taken into ICPC custody.
“However, all the officials arrested and three civilian accomplices have been granted administrative bail, and will be prosecuted by the Commission at the conclusion of investigations.”
The day of reconing will surely come, let stop our evil ways.