By Ado Oyeyemi
No fewer than three officials of the Kano State Road Traffic Agency, popularly known as KAROTA, have been hospitalised after they were attacked by an angry mob following a road crash along the Zaria Road axis of Kano.
The agency disclosed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday by its Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Ibrahim Sharada.
According to the statement, the violence erupted on Wednesday at Kwanar Dawaki after a speeding trailer rammed into a Sharon commercial bus that had been stopped by KAROTA officials for a routine inspection.
The agency quoted the second in command of the KAROTA patrol team on Zaria Road, Ibrahim Abubakar Ibrahim, as saying the trailer crashed into the stationary commercial bus, causing it to somersault several times and leaving several passengers with serious injuries.
As rescue efforts commenced, some youths at the scene reportedly turned on the traffic officials, accusing them over the incident and assaulting them.
The statement said three KAROTA personnel sustained injuries in the attack and were rushed to hospital for medical treatment.
It added that the trailer driver fled the scene while emergency responders focused on rescuing injured passengers and the assaulted traffic officers.
Reacting to the development, the Managing Director of KAROTA, Faisal Mahmud Kabir, appealed to residents to cooperate with officers carrying out lawful duties on the roads.
He urged members of the public to see traffic personnel as public servants committed to maintaining order and ensuring safety on highways rather than as adversaries.
Kabir also commended the agency’s personnel for their dedication and sacrifices despite the risks associated with traffic management duties.
The incident comes amid recurring complaints by motorists over the activities of KAROTA operatives on major roads across Kano.
Some drivers have accused the agency of mounting multiple checkpoints and engaging in extortion, particularly along highways linking the state with neighbouring states.
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Roads frequently mentioned in such complaints include the Maiduguri, Hadejia, Gwarzo, Zaria and Katsina routes, where KAROTA officials are commonly deployed for traffic enforcement.
