A total of 471 drivers have been prosecuted for various traffic offences by mobile courts within the first quarter of 2016 in both Lagos and Ogun States.
Mr Nseobong Akpabio, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Zone II, disclosed this in an interview in Lagos on Thursday.
The Lagos State Government inaugurated the Special Offences (Mobile) Courts in February to stem growing cases of traffic offences in the state and restore sanity to the roads.
He said that of the 471 cases heard by the courts, a total of eight cases were dismissed, and the drivers discharged and acquitted.
Akpabio said: “Within the first quarter of this year, mobile courts in Zone RS-2 Command in January prosecuted 120 offenders, in February125, and in March, 226 offenders.
“Altogether, 471 drivers of various categories were prosecuted by mobile courts in Lagos and Ogun States.
“In the months of January and February, four cases were dismissed, and in March four drivers were also discharged and acquitted.’’
Akpabio, who is also an Assistant Corps Marshal, attributed the gradual increase in the number of cases to the addition of 16 mobile courts to the existing two by the Lagos State Government.
“Before now, we had only two mobile courts, but now the Lagos State government has given us 16 courts, that has translated to the increase in the number of people now being prosecuted.
“If we can have more of these courts, that would certainly be better for traffic management in both Lagos and Ogun States,’’ he added.
He expressed appreciation to the governors of both Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the judiciary for their support, adding that, “more of these arrests and prosecutions would be carried out this quarter.
“Some offenders may be sentenced to jail terms.
“I will warn that if you are driving on the road and you are stopped for an offence committed and charged to court, you may be made to do some time in jail.’’
Akpabio, therefore, added that the FRSC would intensify the efforts of the mobile courts in all its commands within the zone, to avoid any delay in the dispensation of justice for traffic offenders.
