…As CP urges motorists to resist offering bribes to evade sanctions

The Ogun State Police Command has reactivated Operation VELVET across the 20 Local councils to crackdown on traffic offenders that create opportunities for criminal activities along major roads and ensure safety of passengers and other road users in the state.

The Command said that the exercise was to curb the activities of traffic offenders who engaged in one-way and reckless driving, unlicensed unauthorized use of emergency siren, unlicensed driving of vehicles, overload and indiscriminate parking along the transit corridors in the state.

Spokesperson of the Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi confirmed who this to newsmen in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday, said that the operation was to combat crime and criminality along the major highways for public safety.

Babaseyi said that operatives would target vehicles operating with missing, altered, or concealed registration plates, in a bid to improve vehicle identification and strengthen public safety.

He said that through the exercise, enforcement teams aim to restore order on the roads, improve traffic flow, and reduce practices that expose motorists, commuters, and other road users to unnecessary risks across the state.

The Spokesperson stated that the operation was carried out in line with directives issued by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, aimed at enforcing transit regulations, improving public safety on major highways, and ensuring the free flow of traffic across the state.

He said that in response, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni ordered all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), and Operational Unit Heads to ensure seamless execution across their commands.

He added that the commissioner also instructed that all deployed personnel be properly briefed and closely monitored to guarantee that duties are carried out firmly, ethically, and with complete respect for the fundamental rights of all citizens.

However, CP warned that operation VELVET must never serve as a pretext for extortion, illegal detention, harassment, or unauthorized impoundment of vehicles and documents.

He said that the supervisory officers will be held accountable for the conduct of their subordinates, saying that any officer caught engaging in bribery, intimidation, or professional misconduct will face immediate disciplinary action under extant police regulations.

He called on motorists, fleet operators, and transit workers across Ogun State to observe traffic laws and extend maximum cooperation to officers on duty.

The CP also advised members of the public especially motorists to resist offering bribes or inducements to evade sanctions.

He opined that the Command remains committed to executing Operation VELVET with utmost professionalism and solicits the continued partnership of all residents toward securing safer roads across the Gateway State.