FRSC mobilizes 36,000 officers for Eid El-Kabir special road patrol

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has launched a special nationwide patrol operation ahead of the Eid el-Kabir celebration set for Friday.

The operation, which will run from June 5 to June 11, is aimed at promoting safety on the roads and reducing traffic congestion during the festive period.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Corps Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide, said the FRSC will deploy over 36,000 officers, including both regular staff and special marshals, across various parts of the country.

He explained that the exercise would be supported by 750 patrol vehicles, 120 ambulances, 25 tow trucks, and over 200 motorbikes to assist in traffic control and emergency response.

The statement read in part, “Pursuant to the declaration of Friday, 6 June, 2025 as the day of Eid el Kabir in Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Corps has commenced massive Mobilisation of its personnel and operational equipments for the Sallah special patrol aimed at ensuring safer road environment, before, during the festive period and beyond.

“The Operations Order states that not fewer than 36,000 of the FRSC Regular, Special Marshals, and about 750 Patrol Vehicles, 120 Ambulances, 25 Tow Trucks and over 200 Bikes would be on the road during the special operation that would commence from 05 to 11 June, 2025.”

The statement noted that the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, disclosed that the special patrol is designed to facilitate free vehicular movement, enable prompt rescue operations, and promptly clear road obstructions.

Mohammed stressed the corps’ commitment to reducing road traffic crashes through effective patrols and public enlightenment.

“To ensure the effectiveness of the operations, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, directed commanding officers operating across various formations nationwide to ensure that the 52 corridors are properly manned throughout the operations.

“He, however, appealed to motorists to obey all traffic rules and regulations and cooperate fully with the FRSC and other law enforcement agencies that would be deployed for traffic management duties, saying mobile courts would be in session across the country for prompt dispensation of justice to recalcitrant traffic violators.

“The corps marshal also directed that the operatives pay first-rate focus on effective traffic control, wrongful overtaking, use of phone while driving, drivers’ licence violation, lane discipline, removal of rickety vehicles on the road, driving with expired/ worn out tyres and without spare tyre, etc”, Ogungbemide noted.

Commanding officers have been instructed to ensure full coverage of 52 key corridors nationwide. These include major highways such as Akwanga-Lafiya-Makurdi, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, Sagamu-Mowe-Lagos, and Jos-Bauchi-Gombe, among others.

The Corps has equipped its officers with radar guns and breathalysers to monitor speed and deter drunk driving. Emergency response teams, known as Zebras, have been activated to respond swiftly to any reported incidents.

To enhance coordination, the FRSC is working in collaboration with the military, the Nigeria Police Force, Civil Defence, Department of State Services, FF, and various ambulance service providers. Mobile courts will also be in session nationwide to handle traffic violations.

The patrol schedule is segmented into shifts from morning to late evening, with night rescue teams on standby. The public is encouraged to utilise the FRSC’s National Traffic Radio (107.1 FM) and toll-free line 122 to report accidents, obstructions, or traffic congestion.

The Corps Marshal urged all road users to cooperate with enforcement officers and to promote responsible driving habits during the festivities.