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No fewer than 49 Nigerian travellers and passengers have been killed in 119 road crashes during the last Eid-el Fitr celebration nationwide .
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Monday disclosed this ,saying, it rescued 360 people without injuries from 119 crashes nationwide involving 701 people, during 2022 Eid-el-Fitri special patrol from April 29 to May 4.
This is contained in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Bisi Kazeem, on Monday in Abuja.
Kazeem said that the figure, according to the data released by the Corps, represented 35.3 per cent increase in total number of people rescued without injuries.
He said that this was due to high mobilisation and deployment of personnel and logistics for enhanced visibility of operatives on the highways during the special patrol.
“Now, 266 people were rescued without injuries in the same period in 2021. 360 were rescued during the 2022 Eid-EL Fitr special patrol without injuries, which marks 35.3 improvement on 2021 record.
“However, the number of persons rescued with injuries from Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) during the celebration period is 292, ” he said.
Kazeem said that, of the 701 persons involved in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) during the 2022 Eid-el Fitr celebration period, a total of 49 people were killed.
He quoted the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, as stating that the Corps now had a wider coverage due to the establishment of more FRSC Commands and outposts.
This he said were including road side clinics and zebra points who now feed in reports from different routes that were hitherto not thoroughly covered.
Oyeyemi stressed that the increase in number of road crashes, increased in the number of persons involved.
He added that the increase in the number of persons killed were due to the reports that emanated from the new FRSC formations.
“It will be recalled that the Corps had earlier directed that the 2022 Sallah special patrol to cover several corridors.
“This include but not limited to Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi; Mokwa-Birnin Yero-Zaria;Maiduguri-Biu-Numan-Jalingo-Wukari.
“Lafia-Langtang-Pankshin-Jos; Abuja-Lokoja-Okene; Lokoja-Auchi-Benin; Onitsha-Njaba-Owerri-Umuahia, Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomosho; and Ibadan-Ogere-Shagamu.
“The directive, however, was a move away from other years where the focus was on critical corridors, ” he noted.
Oyeyemi noted that the Corps intensified its patrol operations and enlightenment campaigns by giving adequate coverage to all identified routes across the country.
He said that a total of 4,701 offenders were apprehended; while a total of 5,877 offences were recorded; and a total of 2,259 impoundments were made.
He also said that in 2022, enlightenment through motor park rallies and radio programmes increased tremendously.
The FRSC boss said that just like the Easter special operations, the Corps did not record any assault on its operatives.
This, he said, could be attributed to enhanced stakeholders collaboration and engagement, increase in Public Enlightenment, and the introduction of the body and vehicle camera for operatives.
