By Ibironke Ariyo
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN inaugural lecture has provided a crucial opportunity to examine the underlying causes of the Sahel region’s insecurity and devastating violence.
The Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Malam Shehu Mohammed, said this in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during its 1st Annual International Lecture on Thursday in Abuja.
The Lecture, with the theme, “Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2024): Dissecting Nigeria’s Challenges – Genesis, Impacts and Options” was conceived by the management of NAN as part of efforts to tackle the menace of insecurity in the Sahel and Nigeria.
Mohammed praised NAN for its steadfast dedication to disseminating accurate, timely, and trustworthy news to every corner of the country and beyond.
He also recognised the agency’s vital role in maintaining credibility and trust in the media landscape.
According to him, the timing of the event is opportune, enabling in-depth discussions on the Sahel crisis, its impact on Nigeria’s territorial integrity, and tailored security solutions.
“We are here to support our brother and our critical stakeholder, the News Agency of Nigeria for this important landmark of its first inaugural lecture on security.
“Security is critical to road safety because we are the first to be on the road and security is being perpetrated from the road.
“The road gives access to the bandits and the non state actors to be able to travel to wherever they want to go and perpetrate their heinous act and therefore we are a key stakeholder.
“But as agency saddled with the responsibility of creating and ensuring safer road for motorists and Nigerians, we will not relent on our mandates,”he said.
The FRSC boss highlighted the corps’ strategic position in preventing and responding to security threats, citing its extensive network of patrol teams and intelligence gathering capabilities.
Mohammed said that FRSC enjoyed a harmonious relationship with other agencies, promptly providing necessary security information and data whenever requested.
He added that the cooperation was crucial to the FRSC’s role as leaders in traffic management and administration in Nigeria.
“The Corps’ relationship with the other agencies is very cordial because whenever they ask for information or data concerning the security, we normally provide promptly and adequately.
“And that, we shall continue to do on our part.
“We shall continue to provide the needed data, the needed information that we can be able to give and we believe the country can be able to address these security challenges, “he affirmed.
The FRSC boss acknowledged that Nigeria had shown remarkable resilience and determination in tackling its security challenges, and had also played a crucial role in regional counter-terrorism efforts.
“The country’s unwavering commitment to addressing its security concerns and collaborating with neighboring nations to combat terrorism is truly commendable,”he said.
Speaking further on ember months and its attendant fatalities, FRSC Corps Marshal said that corps would intensify passengers’ education and sensitisation to promote safe road practices across the country.
Mohammed said that passengers often bear the brunt of crashes, emphasising the need for collective responsibility.
“We are restrategising for the ember months. Our approach this time around is going to be more on passengers.
“We have been on drivers, but this time around, we are changing to involved also the commuters so that they will speak out against reckless driving.
“In most cases, passengers are the ones affected, yet they’re silent.
“We want them to caution drivers and report incidents so that they can help in addressing cases of avoidable crashes across the country especially during the ember months,”he said.
