Abuja – The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has deployed 31,000 personnel to highways across the nation to ensure safety and free flow of traffic throughout the Sallah celebration.

Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the corps, made this known on Friday at a news conference in Abuja.

Oyeyemi said the personnel included 16,000 Regular Marshals and 15,000 Special Marshals, 10 tow trucks and ambulances.

He noted that celebration like Sallah was characterised by upsurge in traffic and impatience among motorists on highways.

Oyeyemi said the personnel and logistics would be deployed in 23 designated critical corridors and black spots including Lokoja-Benin-Auchi, Abaji-Lokoja, Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Hawankibo-Jos and Minna-Birnin-Kebbi-Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria highways and 65 other routes.

“The corps’ 24 emergency ambulance response centres located at designated routes across the country, FCT, Kaduna, Gombe, Jgawa,Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Nassarawa, Plateau and Kwara states will be operational throughout the period.

“As usual, the corps will be complemented by relevant security stakeholders such as the police, army, Civil Defence, NEMA, amongst others,’’ he said.

Oyeyemi restated the corps commitment to reducing road traffic accidents by 15 per cent and fatalities by 20 per cent in 2016.

He said that operatives of the corps had been directed to remove obstructions from the highways and called on motorists to abide by traffic rules and regulations.

The corps marshal advised motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan expressway between Friday and Sunday to use alternative routes as there would multiple activities on the route during the period.