FRSC prioritises saving lives over law enforcement, says Corps Marshal

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has reminded personnel that the corps was established to save lives, not merely to enforce traffic laws.

Mohammed disclosed this during a Workshop at the Headquarters of the corps on Tuesday in Calabar, describing the engagement as a moment for reflection and rededication to duty.

Our correspondent reports that the workshop is coming on the heels of videos circulating on the social media space, portraying manhandling of FRSC personnel and the destruction of corps properties.

Represented by Mr Godwin Etukidem, Corps Secretary at the FRSC Headquarters in Abuja, the corps marshal said the deployment of senior officers to field commands followed disturbing operational reports requiring urgent corrective intervention.

According to him, recent months recorded declining discipline, weak command structures and cases of misconduct across several commands.

He listed unethical practices, abuse of authority, extortion and reckless enforcement as behaviours eroding public trust and institutional credibility.

“These actions are unacceptable because they violate regulations, core values and endanger the corps’ reputation.

“The corps’ authority flows from public trust, and compromised integrity weakens operational effectiveness,” the corps marshal noted.

Mohammed explained that deployed senior officers would provide mentorship, strengthen discipline and restore effective command and control systems.

He emphasised that professionalism was mandatory, urging personnel to be firm, yet fair, and enforce laws without intimidation or personal gain.

The corps marshal described extortion and harassment as illegal and a betrayal of the oath sworn by officers.

Mohammed said: “Commanders must lead by example, supervise actively and never tolerate misconduct in silence.”

He assured that accountability would be strengthened, ethical conduct rewarded and violations sanctioned to rebuild public confidence.

Earlier, Mr Innocent Etuk, Sector Commander of FRSC in Cross River said the corps remained an elite organisation that had stood out for 38 years in terms of its operational processes.

Etuk, however, noted that in the last few years, the fortunes of the corps had dwindled owing to the attitudinal change of some personnel to the motoring public which had eroded public trust.

He added that the essence of the workshop was to get the corps to its original mandate and services by its founding fathers and create a paradigm shift in the mindset of the personnel.