No fewer than 26 officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps have been arrested by the operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, who staged a sting operation in collaboration with some other agencies of the Federal Government.

A statement signed by the spokesperson for the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa, said the officers were arrested for allegedly extorting money from road users on Nigerian highways after FRSC management lodged complaints.

The statement said, “The other agencies involved in the operation, tagged Operation Tranquility, included the FRSC and the Department of State Security. The part of the operation in Owerri, Imo State, also led to the arrest of a man, who was alleged to be the custodian of the proceeds of extortion.

“The operation, which is the second one in three months since the beginning of 2019, was also conducted simultaneously across four states of the federation between October 2 and 5, 2019 following the receipt of a complaint from the management of the FRSC of extortion activities by some members of its patrol teams nationwide.”

ICPC said that the FRSC management in the complaints observed that incidents of extortion were rampant on highways across the country, adding that the operation was conducted in Imo, Zamfara, Ondo and Yobe States.

The breakdown of the arrest revealed nine FRSC officials and a civilian in Owerri, Imo State; eight FRSC officials in Kaura-Namoda, Zamfara State; five officials of the agency in Ore, Ondo State; and four officials in Potiskum, Yobe State.

The statement added, “Various sums of money were allegedly found on the arrested corps officials and the civilian during the operation before they were taken into ICPC custody.

“All the officials and the civilian arrested have been granted administrative bail pending their prosecution by the commission at the conclusion of the investigations.