By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA—five  officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Aba Unit, deployed to the Board of Internal Revenue, BIR, in Aba, Abia State for the issuance of the new Drivers License, have been whisked to Abuja over alleged fraudulent practices and their offices sealed.

 Vanguard gathered that the FRSC officials were arrested in a covert operation by security operatives from Abuja but officials of the commission had continued to hide the incident from the public.

However, the bubble burst when Drivers License owners, who paid to be issued with the license, could not have their images captured three weeks after payment. Each time they came for the exercise, the BIR annex office of the FRSC, was sealed.

It was discovered that the office was sealed by the FRSC Management in Abuja over fraudulent practices by its personnel at the BIR, Aba office.

 Vanguard investigation revealed that the drivers’ license owners in the city had petitioned the FRSC management over alleged fraudulent activities of its personnel in the BIR office in Aba which included extortion of Licence Owners.

It was learned that the actual amount which was supposed to be paid for the renewal of a drivers license is N6,350. But the FRSC personnel at the BIR office were alleged to be collecting between N10,000 to N20,000 depending on one’s bargaining power.

Beside the exorbitant fees charged, license applicants were also asked to pay fees ranging from N500 to N1,000 for imagery capturing. It was also gathered that based on the outcry of Drivers’ license applicants in the city, the FRSC headquarters in Abuja sent a surveillance team to Aba.

A source at the BIR told Vanguard that unknown to the FRSC officials at the BIR, the surveillance team stayed in Aba for two days to monitor activities at the office. The source further stated that what angered the surveillance team was when the FRSC officials allegedly charged a man N20, 000, did his imagery capturing and issued him Drivers License within few hours contrary to established rules.

After members of the surveillance team were said to have caught the officials in the act, they were arrested and whisked to Abuja where are they are believed to be undergoing interrogation.

When contacted, the Abia State Sector Commander, FRSC, Mrs. Uche Egbu who confirmed the incident, said her personnel at BIR, Aba office annex were arrested because FRSC does not encourage fraudulent conducts. She, however, promised that the office annex would be soon be reopened to serve the public.