EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Road Safety Agency FRSC Officials Arrested For Killing Elderly Cleric On Benin-Onitsha Road With Tear Gas

Four officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been arrested following the death of an elderly passenger, Rev. Adetunji, during an incident along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Edo State.

According to a police memo, the tragic event occurred around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, 19 June 2025.

FRSC personnel attached to the Abudu unit stopped a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number ONDO KAK 787 YQ, travelling from Onitsha to Akure. When the driver allegedly refused to comply, an FRSC officer forcefully entered the vehicle in an attempt to arrest him.

The driver reportedly sped off with the officer still inside the bus. After the vehicle eventually stopped, the situation escalated as other FRSC officers arrived at the scene.

They allegedly began beating the driver and passengers and sprayed pepper spray and tear gas into the crowded vehicle.

In the chaos, Rev. Adetunji, who was travelling with his wife, Pastor Mrs. Yemisi Adetunji, collapsed. He was rushed to the Abudu Medical Health Centre but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Photographs were taken, and the body was deposited at Aigbogun Morgue in Abudu.

The Edo State Police Command confirmed that four FRSC officials were arrested in connection with the incident. The suspects are: DRC Imarhia Friday (38 years); CRMA Aluka Chima Austin (46 years); SMI Emeka Nwanodu and CRMA Emmanuel Ogbonna (42 years).

They have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Benin, for further investigation on charges of conspiracy and murder.

The Federal Road Safety Corps high command in Edo State has been officially notified of the incident.

The police signal reads, “FROM: ACPOL IKPOBA HILL. TO: DECOMPOL DOPS BENIN. INFO: COMPOL DFA/DECOMPOL SCID/PRESSPOL BENIN X CONSPIRACY AND MURDER X MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM SUPOL ABUDU MINE SHOWS THAT TODAY THURSDAY 19/06/2025 AT ABOUT 1100HRS X MEMBERS OF FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY CORPS ATTACHED TO ABUDU FRSC OFFICE WHILE ON DUTY ALONG BENIN ONITSHA EXPRESS ROAD STOPPED ONE TOYOTA HIACE PASSENGER BUS WITH REG No ONDO KAK 787 YQ TRAVELLING FROM ONITSHA TO AKURE X.

“THE RECALCITRANCE AND NON-COMPLIANCE OF THE TOYOTA PASSENGER BUS DRIVER INFURIATED ONE OF THE FRSC MARTIALS WHO FORCEFULLY ENTERED THE BUS IN A BID TO PERFECT THE PROCESS OF ARREST OF THE DRIVER X BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE DRIVER ZOOMED AND SPED OFF WITH THE FRSC OFFICER WHO GOT VERBAL ABUSES FROM PASSENGERS X MID-WAY THE VEHICLE STOPPED TO ENABLE THE ROAD SAFETY OFFICER COME DOWN BUT HE REFUSED WHEN OTHER ROAD SAFETY COLLEAGUES EVENTUALLY ARRIVED SAME SCENE.

“ONLY FOR THE ROAD SAFETY OFFICERS BEGIN TO COMMENCE BEATINGS AND SPRAYING OF HAND-HELD PEPPER SPRAYS/TEAR GAS ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGERS INSIDE THE CLUSTERED VEHICLE X IN THAT PROCESS ONE ELDERLY REV ADETUNJI COLLAPSE IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS WIFE PASTOR MRS YEMISI ADETUNJI.

“REVEREND BECAME MOTIONLESS AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD BY MEDICS OF ABUDU MEDICAL HEALTH CENTRE ABUDU X PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN AND CORPSE IS CURRENTLY DEPOSITED AT AIGBOGUN MORGUE ABUDU X FOUR (04) ROAD SAFETY OFFICERS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THIS INCIDENT X THEY ARE (i) DRC IMARHIA FRIDAY 'M' 38YRS X (ii) CRMA ALUKA CHIMA AUSTIN 'M' 46YRS X (iii) SMI EMEKA NWANODU 'M' X AND (iv) CRMA EMMANUEL OGBONNA 'M' 42YRS X CASEFILE ORIGINATED FROM SUPOL ABUDU MINE AND ALL SUSPECTS/PARTIES HAVE SINCE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO SCID BENIN FOR FURTHER AND DISCREET INVESTIGATION X IN COMPLIANCE WITH COMPOL DIRECTIVES.

“THE FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY CORPS EDO STATE HIGH COMMAND HAVE SINCE BEEN FORMALLY NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT AND ARREST OF PUBLIC SERVANTS FOR CONSPIRACY AND MURDER VIA MYLET CB:3380/EDS/ACI/VOL.3/156 DATED TODAY 19/06/2025 X THIS LETTER HAS SINCE BEEN DESPATCHED X RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED X THIS IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND FURTHER DIRECTIVES PLEASE XXXX ACPOL IKPOBA HILL X.”