A Magistrate’s Court in Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, has sentenced a motorist, Kazeem Abdullahi, to one month in prison for assaulting patrol operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) while they were performing their duties along the Oye-Ifaki road.

Abdullahi was arraigned before Magistrate M. E. Salau on a lone charge under Section 187 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State 2021, which deals with assault on law enforcement officers.

The case, with file number MOY/15C/2024, stemmed from an incident on April 22, 2024, during which Abdullahi, a passenger on a motorcycle, attacked an FRSC official at a patrol point.

The motorcycle rider, identified as Alhaji Dauda, had been stopped for overloading and riding without a helmet. However, Abdullahi reportedly became confrontational and assaulted one of the marshals.

Delivering judgment, Magistrate Salau found Abdullahi guilty as charged but considered his status as a first-time offender with dependants and his subsequent apology to the FRSC.

The court sentenced him to one month in prison or an option of a N5,000 fine. Dauda, who was also arraigned as the first defendant, was discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence.

The trial began on May 9, 2024, when Abdullahi pleaded not guilty. The case saw several adjournments before the final judgment was delivered on October 14.
Reacting to the ruling, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, lauded the judiciary for the swift dispensation of justice. He described the judgment as a warning to those who assault law enforcement officers, stressing that such acts would not be tolerated.

Mohammed expressed concern over the rising cases of attacks on FRSC personnel, which have sometimes led to fatalities. He warned motorists, especially those with a history of defying authorities, to desist from such actions or face severe consequences.