Force PRO asks state Assemblies to criminalise reckless, avoidable road crashes

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi has appealed to states Houses of Assembly to make laws that will treat intentional and willful road crashes as criminal and not mere traffic offences.

Adejobi said if anyone drives roughly in traffic and causes deaths, such should not just be treated as a traffic offence but as a criminal offence of murder.

In his words: “I can say without mincing words that most road accidents or crashes claim numerous lives daily because of our recklessness, carelessness, and lawlessness on our highways. Many violate traffic rules and cause avoidable and unwarranted deaths.

“I want to strongly suggest or challenge our state’s Houses of Assembly to make laws that will describe and treat intentional and willful road crashes as criminal and not mere traffic offences.

“If you drive against traffic and cause deaths, such should not just be treated as a traffic offence but as a capital criminal offence of murder.

“If one refuses to obey the traffic light (robot) and causes deaths, it should be a capital offence (murder case) and not a mere traffic offence. It’s obvious that many are reckless and cause havoc on our highways because they know they may only be charged for traffic offences, which is simple, and not murder as the case may be.

“Once you drive recklessly and cause deaths on the highway, you should be charged with murder, not manslaughter, since it’s intentional. This will reduce, to a certain level, recklessness, and gross violation of traffic rules on our highways.