The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has secured a two-month jail term without an option of fine for a traffic offender arrested for driving against traffic along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
The FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, said this in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Olusegun Ogungbemide, on Wednesday in Abuja.
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Mr Mohammed said the conviction was handed down by the Ojodu-Abiodun Magisterial District Court following a special joint intervention patrol launched on Monday.
He said that the operation was inaugurated to curb the persistent and dangerous practice of one-way driving along the Kara–Opic axis of the expressway.
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He added that the illegal act had escalated due to ongoing bridge expansion joint construction works on both the inward and outward sections of the corridor.
“Disturbed by the increasing recklessness and the attendant risk of avoidable road traffic crashes, the Lagos Sector Commander, Corps Commander Kehinde Hamzat, initiated the joint intervention.
“The patrol was done in collaboration with the Ogun State Sector Command, the Corridor Commander, officers of the Nigeria Police (Warewa, Ojodu-Abiodun and Isheri Divisions).
“Also, agencies include the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), and the Nigerian Army among others,” he said.
The corps marshal did not disclose under which law the driver was charged, convicted and sentenced to prison. Although states like Lagos, have their traffic laws which provide for varying penalties for various traffic offences, the FRSC has no provision for custodial sentences for any of the traffic offences listed on its website. For a violation to be treated as a criminal act to attract a conviction and term of imprisonment, it must have been codified in a law passed by the state House of Assembly or the National Assembly.
The FRSC corps marshal said that during the patrol, officers were strategically deployed at identified flashpoints notorious for one-way driving and related violations.
Mr Mohammed said the enforcement team intercepted one Koko Moses, driver of a Volkswagen bus with registration number MUS 89 YG, while driving against the flow of traffic.
“Further checks revealed that the offender was also driving without a valid driver’s licence, compounding the gravity of his offences and posing a serious threat to public safety.
“The offender was promptly charged to court by CSP Ayegbede John, Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Warewa Police Station.
“Upon arraignment, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment without the option of fine.
“This is sending what authorities described as a clear and uncompromising message that impunity on the nation’s highways would no longer be tolerated,” he said.
Mr Mohammed, however, stated that the intervention patrol recorded an immediate reduction in incidents of one-way driving along the corridor, demonstrating the effectiveness of coordinated enforcement and sustained visibility.
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The corps marshal lauded the joint team for effective coordination and leadership in ensuring the success of the operation.
He reiterated that the FRSC would continue to maintain zero tolerance for traffic violations that endanger lives and assured the motoring public of sustained enforcement operations along critical corridors nationwide.
He also admonished motorists to obey traffic rules, cooperate with traffic management directives during construction works, and always prioritise safety.
(NAN)
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