….warns intending traffic offenders to learn from this
The
Lagos State Taskforce in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of
Justice have auctioned 134 forfeited and abandoned vehicles at the
Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja.
The
auction excercise which took place today witnessed members of the public
troop out in numbers to participate in the sale of vehicles which were
confiscated for various traffic offences ranging from driving on one-way
to willful obstruction of traffic across various parts of the State.
Speaking
to Newsmen at the event was the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce,
CSP Shola Jejeloye who stated that the terminating end of any
enforcement exercise carried out by the Agency is the Mobile Court who
determines the fate of vehicles seized for traffic infractions.
“My
role as a Police officer is to carry out enforcement exercises one of
which is confiscation of vehicles for traffic offenses, and handing them
over to the mobile court for judgement. I dont determine the fate our
outcome of any vehicle brought before the magistrate in court”
Jejeloye
enlightened members of the public that traffic offense is not a
criminal offense thus the need for any offender who has been arrested to
have the boldness and confidence to face the mobile court.
“Some
of the cars being auctioned here were confiscated for obstruction of
traffic which only attracts a fine but some people never showed up to
claim these cars thats why they have been forfeitted to the State
Government after the stipulated period and then auctioned” he stated.
Also
present at the event was the Coordinator of The Lagos State Special
Offenses Mobile Court, Mrs Arinola Ogbara-Banjoko who described the
exercise as seemless and well organised and also disclosed that all 134
vehicles on display had gone through due process of the court of law
before being forfeited to the State Government for varying offenses.
CSP
Jejeloye further addressed members of the public present at the auction
exercise to desist from committing crime or traffic offences as no one
would be spared if found wanting. He hoped that this exercise would
serve as a dettrent to other road users who are fond of driving against
traffic and warned that the long arm of the law would soon catch up with
them.
He said that enforcement exercise would
continue in earnest to ensure that sanity is maintained on the roads
following the ban on the activities of Okada operators across various
parts of the State.
Gbadeyan Abdulraheem
Director, Press & Public Affairs
Lagos State Taskforce