The Federal Road Safety Corps said it deployed 800 officials for highway patrol in Kogi as part of its Operation Zero Road Traffic Crash for the yuletide.

The state FRSC Sector Commander, Samuel Oyedeji, said this in a statement in Lokoja on Wednesday.

He said that the operation, which commenced on December 15, would end on Monday, January 15.

Mr Oyedeji charged motorists to obey traffic rules, avoid dangerous driving, overloading and using cell phones when driving.

“This is because enforcement will be focused on checking and sanctioning traffic offenders to curb unnecessary loss of life on the highways,” he said.

He said that the deployment included regular and special marshals, 25 patrol vehicles, three ambulances and a heavy-duty tow truck to ensure free movement of vehicles during and after the yuletide.

“In addition to the manpower available in the state, not less than 40 personnel have been detailed from the FRSC Zonal Headquarters, Ilorin, to beef up the manpower and senior officers from the RSHQ, Abuja, would be on ground to monitor and supervise the exercise across the state.

“All these are demonstrations of our readiness to strengthen safety on the roads through a series of operations aimed at ensuring free traffic flow, curbing reckless driving and clearing the roads of abandoned vehicles, which preceded the deployment for the festive season.

“These operations include mobile court sittings and obstruction clearing on highways in the state in conjunction with the state government,” he said.

The sector commander said that four help centres had been set up in Ejule, Ajaokuta, Osara and Okene for prompt emergency rescue services, as well as five camps in Lokoja, Koton Karfe, Zariagi and Okene for 24-hour traffic control operations in and around the areas.

He appealed to contractors handling emergency work on some bad spots on the roads to expedite action on the rehabilitation works for hitch-free traffic, considering the increase in the number of road users.

(NAN)