The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dauda Biu has said that drivers responsible for road accidents should face prison sentences.
Biu made the statement in response to recent road accidents in Oyo, Kano, and Kaduna states.
The accidents, which occurred at Gaya Junction in Kano and Tashan Yari in Kaduna, resulted in a total of 18 fatalities on April 18 and 19, 2024.
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Also, there was a crash on the Oyo-Ogbomoso route that claimed 19 passengers on April 14, 2024.
During a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Biu stressed the need for stringent penalties to deter reckless driving, including jail terms without the option of fines.
He urged all state governments to prosecute drivers for violating road laws, adding that the FRSC had written to all state governors regarding this issue.
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Biu further disclosed that the FRSC was intensifying collaboration with the judiciary across the 36 states to expedite the trial of drivers involved in road accidents.
He stressed that offenders would face legal consequences to deter others from driving recklessly.
Furthermore, Biu reported a reduction in fatalities during the 2024 Easter and Eid-el-Fitr holidays, compared to the previous year, indicating progress in road safety efforts.
During the 2024 Easter special patrol period, 33 victims were killed, a 59.3 per cent reduction from the 81 killed in the same period in 2023.
Similarly, during the Eid-El-Fitr special patrol, the total number of people killed in 2023 was 59, compared to 28 killed in the same period in 2024, signifying a 52.5 per cent drop.