The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Bauchi state has said that it carries out rescue services to all accident victims without discriminating whether the crash occurs on a federal or state road.
Istifanus Ibrahim, the Sector Commander FRSC, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi on Sunday.
According to him, if road safety enforcement and rescue services were restricted to state or federal roads, it would not augur well, especially for accident victims.
“This is because when it comes to saving lives, it should not be defined as this is a federal or state road.
“If there is a road traffic crash now, the personnel going for a rescue mission will not go and stand there and discriminate by saying these people are on state or federal roads.
“There is the need for us to avoid this kind of dichotomy as to looking at the road as a state or federal road,” he said.
The Sector Commander recounted how some people took the corps to a Federal High court based on the premises that it didn't have the power or jurisdiction to operate on state roads.
He explained that the people also claimed the sum of N20million as exemplary and general damages for harassment of road users by the FRSC officials.
“The Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Aisha Ibrahim while delivering the Judgement on Friday, dismissed the suit and held that the plaintiffs did not place evidence before the court to show that the road complained of were State Roads.
“She also ruled that there was no evidence to show harassment of road users adding that the Plaintiffs had not discharged the burden of proof on them.
“We are on the road and we don't discriminate whether somebody is on state or federal road as our mission is to save lives and the lives we save is for Nigerians and not for a state or federal”, he said.
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