By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
For commuters plying the highways of Cross River State, each journey carries hopes of arriving home safely to loved ones, a reality often threatened by reckless driving, overloading and corruption on the roads.
Behind the statistics of road crashes are families shattered by sudden loss, breadwinners injured, and children left without parents—stories the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says must no longer be treated as normal.
It is against this human cost that the FRSC has intensified enforcement and public sensitisation nationwide, with Cross River State emerging as a focal point in the renewed drive to protect lives on Nigerian roads.
In the state, the intensified operations have led to the arrest of 932 traffic offenders within six months, highlighting both the scale of unsafe practices and the determination of authorities to reverse the trend.
The Sector Commander of the FRSC in Cross River State, Mr Innocent Etuk, disclosed this during an interview with journalists at the command’s headquarters in Calabar.
Etuk explained that the arrests followed sustained joint operations with sister security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), shortly after he assumed duty in June 2025.
A breakdown of the figures showed that 548 motorists were arrested for overloading vehicles, a practice he said often turns minor accidents into fatal tragedies, especially on long-distance routes.
Another 384 motorists were booked for attempting to bribe FRSC personnel, a development Etuk said placed Cross River as the third highest command nationwide in cases of attempted corruption against road safety officers.
He noted that the figures marked a turning point for the command, stressing that compromise and indolence would no longer be tolerated, as every act of corruption on the road could cost innocent lives.
To ensure swift justice, Etuk said the command operates four mobile courts across the state, through which 157 traffic offenders were arraigned during the period under review.
Out of that number, 153 offenders were convicted, while four were discharged, a process he said sends a clear message that traffic violations have real consequences.
On the impact of these violations, the sector commander revealed that 33 road crashes were recorded in the third quarter, many linked to night travel, leaving 30 people injured and six others dead.
He said investigations showed that most of the crashes were caused by human errors, including fatigue, speeding and overloading, factors that could have been avoided.
Etuk added that enforcement efforts have been strengthened by the launch of “Operation Zero,” which began on December 15 and will run until January 15, 2027, alongside radio and community programmes such as Early Morning Cry, Crash Squad and Good Morning Calabar, urging drivers, passengers and pedestrians to work together to keep Nigeria’s roads safe.