Lagos: Andy BABATUNDE Published Thursday, July 9, 2020

Lagos: Andy BABATUNDE  Published Thursday, July 9, 2020

THE CORPS MARSHAL has ordered the recall of its team of patrol along  Ikorodu-Sagamu Road for disciplinary action and the prosecution of the offending driver.

Recall a viral video circulating in the social media where a patrol team member of the Corps was seen on the bonnet of a vehicle (Honda Odessey) whose driver was attempting to avoid arrest having been accosted by the team for committing an offence of seatbelt use violation.

The incident, according to the Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem (fsi), occurred on Monday, July 6, 2020 along Ikorodu-Sagamu road during a special joint patrol operations targeted at enforcing the Presidential Task Force directives on physical distancing and overloading amongst passengers to curb further spread of the coronavirus.

The Corps Marshal, Adeboboye Oyeyemi (pictured above) was said to be deeply saddened by the development  and has ordered the entire team to be recalled to Lagos State Sector Command for investigation and appropriate disciplinary actions in line with the Corps' regulations, while the erring driver face immediate prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Corps Public Education Officer further posited that the Corps' operational guidelines did not allow  personnel  to stand in front of any vehicle to effect arrest at the detriment of their own safety while stopping the vehicle.

"For emphasis, a staff does not need to commit suicide while stopping an offender that is already on a suicide mission, because every arrest of an offender is expected to be done within safe and professional limits in line with their training and operational guidelines and not to unnecessarily put their own lives in danger while attempting to arrest a fleeing offender.

"That is why the Corps has been deploying technology to track all cases of absconding recalcitrant drivers of this nature and bring them to justice.

"Motorists are warned to note that  the above scenario is  not a guarantee for drivers to continue to disobey traffic laws and exhibit such dastardly acts that put the lives of law enforcement agents at risk. 

The Corps said it would utilise every legal option within its powers to arrest and prosecute the absconding dangerous  driver who having realised his folly, abandoned the vehicle and took to his heels.