By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
The nine drivers arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) for driving against traffic have forfeited their vehicles to the state government following a court ruling.
Mrs. Salau Omobola of the Lagos State Mobile Court, who delivered the judgement, also sentenced the offenders to a ’20-hour Community Service’ as additional punishment.
The drivers were arrested around Cele and Iyana-Isolo bus stops along Oshodi-Mile Expressway by the Enforcement Team of the Agency led by the Chairman, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi.
The team also impounded 21 vehicles during the exercise, while their drivers escaped arrest.
The convicts were arraigned before Magistrate (Mrs) Salau Omobola of the for driving in the direction prohibited by law (one-way) punishable under Part (III) item 27 of the ‘Transport Sector’ of Lagos State 2018.
Magistrate Omobola pronouced outright forfieture of their vehicles to the State government after the defendants (drivers) admitted guilty to the one-way traffic offence charged against them.
According to the Magistrate, vehicles forfeited to the government include (Acura car APP 39 EX), (Toyota Hilux KSF 374 DH), (Nissan Small bus KJA 646 XT), (Peugeot APP 437 FN), (LT Volkswagen bus JJJ 822 XT), (Volkswagen ‘T4 bus’ KTU 169 XJ), (Volkswagen KRD 438 XL), (Volkswagen bus EKY 946 FT) and (KRD 793 XT).
In a release by Adebayo Taofiq Head, Public Affairs Unit, Chairman of the Agency, Egbeyemi disclosed that there have been serious complaints from motorists and residents that activities of these one-way drivers is causing serious traffic gridlock on daily basis along that axis.
According to the Chairman “these 21 one-way impounded vehicles and 9 arrested drivers ran into our enforcement team while we were returning from demolition exercise at Eric Moore and Orile-Iganmu along Lagos-Badagry Expressway”
“Honestly speaking it is painful that with high level of enlightenment campaigns and several warnings by the government motorists including private car owners can still be driving against flow of traffic in such a long magnitude thereby blocking on-coming vehicles to a stand still at Iyana-Isolo”
CSP Egbeyemi however advised other remaining 12 drivers who were at large to immediately report to the Agency for prosecutions.
