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.

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

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

“The 2IC of the KAROTA patrol team along Zaria Road, Ibrahim Abubakar 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, causing it to somersault several times. As a result, many passengers sustained serious injuries.

“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.

The statement added that the truck driver who caused the accident fled while attention was focused on rescuing the passengers of the commercial bus and the injured KAROTA personnel.

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

He said such officers should not be regarded as enemies of society but as government representatives working to ensure sanity in traffic management.

The managing director also commended KAROTA personnel for their sacrifice and commitment to the effective discharge of their duties.

Motorists plying major roads in Kano metropolis have, on several occasions, raised concerns over the manner in which KAROTA operatives mount roadblocks on major roads, with some alleging that the agency has also taken over sections of federal highways linking Kano with other states.

KAROTA officials, who wear yellow uniforms, are often seen mounting roadblocks, while some are accused of extorting motorists, especially commercial vehicle drivers.

Roads frequently associated with the activities of KAROTA personnel include Maiduguri, Hadejia, Gwarzo, Zaria and Katsina roads, all of which link Kano with neighbouring states.