Court orders 9 drivers to forfeit vehicles to Lagos govt
By Chioma Joseph, Lagos
Nine drivers have been ordered to forfeit their vehicles to the Lagos state government following their arraignment at the Lagos state Mobile Court in Oshodi.
The drivers were arrested by the enforcement team of the Lagos state Environmental and Special Offences Unit (task force).
Chairman of the agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, who spoke on the development, said a total of 21 vehicles were impounded and nine drivers arrested for driving against traffic.
Egbeyemi, who led the operation around Cele and Iyana-Isolo bus- stops along the Oshodi-Mile 2 Expressway, said 12 drivers on sighting the men of the task force absconded leaving their vehicles on the highway.
The arrested drivers were arraigned before Magistrate Salau Omobola for the offence which is punishable under Part (III), item 27 of the Transport Sector of Lagos state 2018.
Magistrate Omobola pronounced outright forfeiture of their nine vehicles to the state government after the defendants (drivers) pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
The court also pronounced a 20-hour community service as additional punishment each to the arraigned driver.
Our correspondent reports that the vehicles forfeited to the state government include a Toyota Hilux, Nissan bus, Volkswagen bus, Peugeot car and others.
Egbeyemi further disclosed that the agency has received serious complaints from motorists and residents on the activities of drivers driving against traffic and causing serious traffic gridlock on a daily basis.
“The 12 impounded vehicles and nine arrested drivers ran into our enforcement team while we were returning from the demolition exercise at Eric Moore and Orile-Iganmu along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
“Honestly speaking, it is painful that with the high level of enlightenment campaigns and several warnings by the government, motorists including private car owners can still be driving against the flow of traffic and blocking on-coming vehicles at Iyana-Isolo,” the task force chairman added.
He however, advised the other 12 drivers on the run to immediately report to the agency for prosecution.
