The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in Cross River State has arrested no fewer than 280 drivers for offering bribes to its personnel at various checkpoints across the state between June and October 2025.
The Sector Commander, Mr Innocent Tommy Etuk, disclosed this during a live programme on HIT FM, Calabar, where he spoke on road safety measures for motorists during the Ember Months.
He urged drivers to resist the temptation to bribe officers, warning that both givers and takers of bribes would face sanctions.
Etuk explained that the arrests were part of efforts to discourage drivers from encouraging extortion by FRSC personnel.
“Since my assumption of duty in June 2025, we have arrested 280 drivers who attempted to compromise our men. This is to send a strong message that corruption will not be tolerated,” he said.
He advised motorists to record evidence of any extortion attempts and assured that such reports would be thoroughly investigated.
“We have internal mechanisms to deal with our personnel found culpable. We maintain zero tolerance for road corruption, extortion, or assault involving our men,” he stated.
During the radio discourse, several callers complained bitterly about alleged extortion and harassment by FRSC officers, particularly in Calabar and its environs.
They listed some of the affected routes and appealed to the commander to conduct discreet monitoring to check the excesses of his officers.
Some callers recounted how FRSC personnel impounded vehicles or assaulted motorists who refused to pay bribes, even when their vehicle documents were complete.
One of them alleged that officers “still look for excuses to extort motorists even when all papers are up to date.”
Another caller, identified as Joshua Imo, narrated how he was beaten by officers along Atimbo Road, en route to Akpabuyo, after allegedly refusing to part with more than ₦500.
Etuk, while acknowledging the complaints, appealed for mutual respect and better understanding between motorists and FRSC personnel. “We are all partners in ensuring safer roads,” he added.
