The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said that the protester on a Special Marshal’s regalia in Wednesday’s labour protest in Owerri is not an officer of the corps.
The Sector Commander of the corps in Imo, Evaristus Ebeniro, said this on Thursday during an interactive session with newsmen in Owerri.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the man, whose identity was not disclosed, joined the protest in a full special marshal’s regalia.
“The incident prompted the command to commence investigation to unravel the identity of the man.
“It is now confirmed that the protester, who happened to be a unionist, was once a special marshal,” Ebeniro said.
He said that the man had since been “de-marshaled and no longer holds a special marshal’s identity card.”
He further said that the protester was summoned when he was serving and queried over his alleged inactivity and lack of commitment to duty.
According to the state FRSC boss, the man later absconded and was therefore de-marshaled in absentia, in line with the rules of the corps.
“The command hereby makes it categorically and unequivocally clear that the protester is no longer with the corps.
“He acted alone in that show of shame,“ Ebeniro said.
He also said that the command had arrested him and recovered the regalia from him.
NAN reports that the organised labour and civil society organisations held a nationwide protest to register their disapproval of some of the Federal Government’s policies and demand for their review in the interest of the masses.