Soldiers, FRSC clash over road block in Cross River

Soldiers and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) clashed on Thursday morning over road block mounted by men of the FRSC along Pamol in Odukpani local government area in Cross River State.

It was gathered that the men of the FRSC mounted road blocks with a view to arresting motorists who have no complete vehicle particulars as
well as those that are not road worthy.

Incidentally, a soldier who was driving a white Camry car was blocked and stopped from proceeding on his movement. This resulted in fisticuffs between the soldier and the FRSC officials.

During the period of shouting and counter shouting, some of the vehicles that were arrested by the official of the FRSC seized the opportunity and drove away.

Others too, that were asked to deposit N1,000 because their vehicle particulars were not complete drove in a commando style and left the supposedly detention camp of the FRSC.

The Court officials who were waiting to receive the suspects and the cars without adequate particulars were disappointed as the vehicles and their drivers zoomed off during the period of the clash.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of FRSC, Dr Godsgift Uwen, said he was not aware of the incident.

“I am not aware because the activity has not been formerly concluded, once it is concluded the head of operations will be fully briefed, the formal report has not been written and forwarded to the Sector Commander.

“The Sector Commander is presently on official assignment in Abuja, and the Head of Operations is standing in for him, once the activity is concluded the head of operation will be fully briefed.

“I am aware of the Mobile Court in the area but not aware that FRSC officials were collecting N1,000 from any motorist who did not have complete vehicle particulars.

“If anybody collected money, such person was not from FRSC, our men are always in uniform, but I will pass the message to the Head of operations”, he said.

However, the Army Public Relations Officer, Captain K. O. Owolabi, said on phone that
“immediately we got the information, we withdraw our men and the matter has been resolved and the men have returned to their duty post.

“I cannot actually say what was the root cause of the problem but I heard that somebody blocked the road, we don’t want to go into it too much but to resolve the matter and we have done that and the people have returned to their duty post”, he also stated.