The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), says it recorded 57 road crashes with 20 deaths in Ogun and Lagos States in the four weeks of COVID-19 lockdown.
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Mr Samuel Obayemi, FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer in-charge of the two states, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
Obayemi, an Assistant Corps Marshal, said that the crashes occurred within the four weeks of the lockdown in Lagos State and three weeks of lockdown in Ogun.
“The Lockdown directive which was announced by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, on 29th March was enforced by FRSC Operatives in Zone 2 which comprises of Lagos and Ogun States.
“Although the enforcement started at different dates with Lagos starting first because there was an already existing lockdown directive by the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while lockdown in Ogun State commenced on April 4, 2020.
“The goal of the Operation was to enforce the directive on restriction of movement in both states.
“An analysis of the data of the Enforcement Operation carried out so far in the zone showed that we have a total of 57 road traffic crashes with only 10 fatal where 20 lives were lost,” Obayemi said.
The FRSC boss said that the 10 fatal accidents that claimed 20 lives occured along Ojota, Lekki, Ibeju, Apapa, Epe, Mowe, Ogere, Sagamu and Itori areas of the zone.
According to him, the corps stopped a total of 33, 252 vehicles from which a total of 27, 659 were cautioned and allowed to go free.
He said that 377 vehicles were impounded and booked, while 235 vehicles were impounded but not booked.
Obayemi said that the FRSC operatives turned back a total of 5,030 vehicles to their originating places and arrested 53 for overloading.
“From the data, it can be observed that the number of bookings made is just a handful compared to the total number of vehicles stopped.
“This can be attributed to a relatively appreciable level of compliance of motorists to the social distancing order and also because the Operatives have not been focused on booking except for extreme cases.”
Obayemi said that despite the lockdown that had reduced the flow of vehicles along major highways in the zone, the few road traffic crashes recorded were avoidable.
NAN recalls that President Buhari had on April 27, announced a “gradual easing” of COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, from May 4.