Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, yesterday highlighted the zero-tolerance stance of the present administration for violation of traffic laws by leading the prosecution of 37 alleged traffic offenders arraigned before the Special Offences (Mobile) Court, in Oshodi.
Speaking after his appearance at the mobile court, Onigbanjo stated that Lagos State government would continue to prosecute traffic offenders until sanity is restored on roads and law-abiding citizens are allowed to commute without being impeded by unlawful individuals.
He stated that many convictions had been secured and vehicles of some of the offenders had been forfeited to the government.
He recalled that one of the first duties of Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, on assumption of office was to sign an Executive Order on traffic management among others, saying: “This was a demonstration that the new administration has zero-tolerance for disobedience to traffic rules and that all traffic offenders must be punished according to the law which may be in form of community service or fines.”
Earlier, during the court proceedings, the attorney-general had urged the court that was presided over by Magistrate Omobola Salawu to convict the 37 offenders charged with various offences such as driving against traffic, driving on BRT corridor and plying the highway with Motorcycles and endangering the lives of other roads’ users.
Onigbanjo argued that the offence committed is punishable under section 66 (b) of Lagos State Transport Law, 2012.
In his ruling, Magistrate Omobola Salawu sentenced the accused to 100 days of community service and fines ranging between N15,000 and N20,000 relative to the offence committed.
