By: Manoah Kikekon
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| FRSC officer and Mr. Ayelagbe Amosa |
MOWO, LAGOS – A passenger, identified as Ayelagbe Amosa, sustained deep facial lacerations after a confrontation between officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and a commercial driver on Friday morning along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The incident occurred at the Mowo axis of the expressway during an early morning patrol. According to witnesses, the situation escalated when a commercial vehicle driver allegedly defied orders to stop for inspection, leading to a sequence of events that left a passenger bleeding profusely from broken glass shards.
Reliving the harrowing experience, the victim, Mr. Ayelagbe Amosa, explained that he was on his way to work when the FRSC team flagged down his vehicle. "The officers were stopping vehicles at Mowo. They stopped ours, but the driver did not stop," Amosa told reporters.
"In an attempt to stop the car, an officer hit the side mirror with an object. The glass shattered instantly, cutting deep into my face. It narrowly missed my eye, and I started bleeding seriously," he added, visibly shaken.
The victim further alleged that the FRSC team initially tried to absolve themselves of responsibility. Amosa claimed the officers took him to a private hospital, Olaoki, but attempted to "drop and dash" leaving him at the facility without speaking to doctors or settling initial bills.
"I insisted they couldn't leave me like that. After several back-and-forth arguments, they took me to another hospital near MTN, where they tried to do the same thing," Amosa narrated.
In a desperate bid to ensure accountability, the injured passenger reportedly jumped into the back of the FRSC patrol truck as they attempted to drive off, forcing the team to eventually transport him to the Badagry General Hospital where he was eventually treated.
When contacted regarding the incident, the FRSC Badagry Unit Commander, Mr. Sanni Yusuf, confirmed that his officers were on a routine patrol when the driver of the vehicle in question chose to evade a lawful stop.
"The driver refused to stop and was actually trying to crush the officer with the vehicle," Commander Yusuf stated. He explained that in the heat of the evasion attempt, the officers later realized a passenger had been injured. However, he dismissed claims of neglect, asserting that the command is fully prepared to take responsibility for the situation.
Seeking to de-escalate the tension, Commander Yusuf assured the public that the FRSC would cover the victim’s medical costs. He emphasized that the corps' primary mandate is the preservation of life and that they often assist accident victims who have no direct connection to their operations.
"My office takes care of accidents that don't even involve my officers. How much more this one? We will definitely handle it; there is no cause for alarm," Yusuf added. He urged motorists to always comply with road safety officials to avoid such preventable injuries and dangerous confrontations.