Three Kano traffic officials hospitalised after mob attack

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At least three members of staff of the Kano State Road Traffic Agency, popularly known as KAROTA, were hospitalised following a mob attack by some angry youths on Wednesday.

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The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Abubakar Sharada, confirmed the incident in a statement, a copy of which was made available to PUNCH Metro on Thursday.

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According to the statement, the incident occurred when a Sharon commercial bus was hit by a trailer in Kwanar Dawaki town on Zaria Road.

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“The second-in-command of the KAROTA patrol team on Zaria Road, Ibrahim Ibrahim, said the Sharon commercial bus was stopped by the team for a routine check when, suddenly, the truck driver, who was speeding, rammed into the passenger bus, which somersaulted several times, as a result of which many passengers sustained serious injuries.

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“When they saw how some of the passengers were injured, the group (youths) launched an attack on the KAROTA personnel, inflicting serious injuries on them,” the statement said.

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The statement added that the truck driver who caused the accident fled due to the diversion of attention to rescuing passengers of the commercial bus and the injured KAROTA personnel.

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The Managing Director of KAROTA, Faisal Kabir, appealed to members of the public to always respect and assist uniformed personnel who are on duty to maintain law and order on the highways.

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He pointed out that such officers should not be regarded as enemies of society but as government representatives ensuring sanity in traffic management.

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The Managing Director commended KAROTA staff for their sacrifice and effective discharge of their duties.

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Recall that motorists plying major roads in the Kano metropolis have, on several occasions, raised concerns over the way operatives of the agency usually mount roadblocks on major roads, while some have taken over some of the federal roads linking Kano with other states.

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KAROTA officials, who wear yellowish uniforms, usually mount roadblocks, while some are stationed by the roadside to extort motorists, especially commercial vehicle drivers.

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Roads witnessing the activities of KAROTA personnel include Maiduguri, Hadejia, Gwarzo, Zaria, and Katsina roads, all linking Kano with neighbouring states.

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