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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Oyo traffic agency trains staff to help fight crime on roads

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority trained its personnel on intelligence gathering and public safety to aid crime prevention.
  • Traffic officers will now support security agencies by observing and reporting suspicious activities on roads.
  • The training emphasized vigilance and adherence to state government restrictions on commercial motorcycles and tricycles.

The Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) has equipped its senior officers and personnel with enhanced skills in intelligence gathering, vigilance, and public safety. This initiative aims to bolster security efforts across the state by leveraging traffic officers' daily interactions with the public.

Officers are strategically positioned to contribute to public security because of their daily interactions with thousands of motorists and road users across the state.

— Major Adekoya AdesagbaAdesagba explained the critical role of traffic officers in public security.

The one-day training, themed “Eyes on the Road – Intelligence in Action,” focused on enabling traffic officers to support security agencies through effective observation, surveillance, and prompt reporting of suspicious activities. OYRTMA Chairman, Major Adekoya Adesagba, stressed that traffic officers are strategically positioned to contribute significantly to public security due to their constant presence on the roads.

Lectures covered the role of traffic officers in enhancing self and public security, transforming traffic enforcement into security intelligence gathering. Adesagba urged officers to remain vigilant, citing recent security challenges like banditry in Ogbomoso and kidnappings in Ibadan. He reminded them of the state government's curfew on commercial motorcycles and tricycles, from 10:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., implemented to curb criminal activities.

The Front Line of Order: The Role of Traffic Officers in Enhancing Self and Public Security in Oyo State

— Major Adekoya AdesagbaAdesagba presented a lecture on the security contributions of traffic officers.

OYRTMA maintains close collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Operation Burst, and the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) to enhance statewide security. During the training, officers were advised to watch for suspicious behavior, unusual passenger interactions, questionable luggage, and unregistered vehicles. They were instructed to report such activities to security agencies rather than confronting suspects directly. The importance of situational awareness, public enlightenment, and personal safety was also emphasized, encouraging a professional and educational approach in interactions with road users while staying alert to potential security threats.

OYRTMA Intelligence Training: From Traffic Enforcement to Security Intelligence Assets

— Major Adekoya AdesagbaAdesagba presented a lecture on leveraging traffic enforcement for security intelligence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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