A Nigerian-born correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Ayodele Abiodun Afosi, has been arrested in the United States over allegations of fleeing the scene of a road accident.
According to reports, Afosi was apprehended by law enforcement officers on Monday after allegedly causing damage exceeding $200 in an accident and failing to stop to provide the required information.
The suspect was subsequently taken into custody and booked at the Walker County Jail, where he was being held on a $3,000 bond.
Afosi’s arrest reportedly came barely three months after he was employed as a correctional officer by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, raising uncertainty over his continued employment with the agency.
Under Texas law, motorists involved in accidents are required to stop at the scene when it is safe to do so and provide details including their name, address, vehicle registration, insurance information and driver’s licence.
Violators may face penalties ranging from fines and suspension of driving privileges to possible jail terms.
The incident has since generated reactions on social media, with several users criticising the development and questioning the hiring process of the correctional agency.
Some commenters also made remarks about immigrant integration and conduct, while others argued that public officials should be held to higher standards of accountability.
The development comes amid increasing scrutiny of criminal allegations involving some Nigerian nationals abroad, even as many other Nigerians continue to excel in various sectors across the global economy.
Meanwhile, reports also indicated that the United States Secret Service recently seized about $700,000 in cryptocurrency allegedly linked to business email compromise schemes involving accounts traced to Nigeria.
