Tobi Soniyi
The Federal Road Safety Commision (FRSC) has called for the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the shooting of two of its officials in Abia State.
The Public Education Officer and spokesman of the Commission, Bisi Kazeem, made the call yesterday while reacting to the reported dismissal of Police Corporal Iroh Orji over the incident.
Orji, who was an orderly to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Chikwendu Kalu, allegedly pulled the trigger on the FRSC officials at their duty post on July 15.
The state Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, had last Monday announced Orji’s dismissal from the police, saying he was found guilty after an orderly room trial.
FRSC said it welcomed the policeman’s dismissal, however, wanted the authority to prosecute him and others, including the speaker, his wife and an operative of the Department of Security Services, (DSS).
Kazeem said: “the corporal’s dismissal is a welcome development which shows that the police have zero tolerance for acts of indiscipline and lawlessness among their men.
“But we call on the police to institute criminal proceedings against him and others involved in the act of criminality against our men.
“We have made this demand in writing to the Director of DSS in the state, who said he had made recommendation to headquarters for disciplinary action against the operative.
“The director said the recommendation had to be verified and approved by headquarters before action could be taken.’’
He said FRSC had also written to the police command in the state for the arrest of the speaker, his wife and the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident.
The speaker, Kalu, is alleged to have ordered the shooting of the FRSC officials, an allegation he denied.
The incident occurred at Arungwa Junction (near Aba) on the Enugu-Port-Harcourt highway.
Kalu’s wife, Victoria, was said to be travelling to Aba when the FRSC men flagged down her vehicle and attempted to book her for seat belt violation.
A heated argument ensued during which she allegedly pounced on the road safety officials with the help of a female DSS operative, who was travelling with her.
Witnesses said the woman called her husband, who arrived at the scene and allegedly ordered his orderly to shoot the FRSC officials.
When the speaker visited the victims at the hospital the next day, he was said to have been denied access into the ward where the FRSC officials were receiving treatment.
One of the wounded officials said: “I saw him at the scene. What if we had died, he would have come to see our corpses.”
However, the speaker blamed the incident on “over-zealousness’’ of the security officers involved.
“I strongly condemn any over-zealousness on the side of any security personnel, be it anyone, let alone Police, FRSC, the army and DSS.
“I think I will be the last person to encourage it because it doesn’t augur well with the state and the country at large,’’ he said.
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