The Lagos State Government on Friday inaugurated the Special Offences (Mobile) Court to summarily deal with growing cases of traffic and environmental abuses in the state with the view to bring sanity and civility in the conduct of residents.

The Mobile Court, which will be manned by highly-qualified Magistrates of the State Judiciary, will summarily try cases involving traffic and environmental offenders.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said the launch of the Mobile Court, was one of the ways through which the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode aims to broaden the pathway that guaranty citizens’ access to justice and at the same time ensure the preservation of civility in the society.

He said the development was an institutional reaction to identified societal challenges, and that henceforth traffic offenders such as motorcyclists who drive against traffic and refused to obey traffic signs like zebra crossing and traffic light indication, would no longer find it easy to get away with commission of such crimes in the state.


He also said commercial bus drivers popularly known as Danfo Drivers on motion with their doors open thereby endangering lives of those of their passengers and other road users, would equally be prosecuted before the Mobile Court, while anyone crossing the highway where pedestrian bridges are provided, would equally face trial.

Kazeem, who disclosed that henceforth driving on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes of non-designated vehicles by anyone including military personnel, would attract prosecution before the Mobile Court, also warned people to desist from parking at undesignated places and indulging in noise pollution and street trading among others, saying such offences would be handled by the court.

He added: “These set of offences appear to be so simple but the reduction of its commission I believe is a major yardstick in determining how much we have progressed as a civilized society.
“It may seems simple, but its significance and expected impact to the society is a lot more profound,” Kazeem said.

Speaking on the importance of the event, the Attorney General said: “This event is even more momentous because It is a symbolic indication of some of the most important policies of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration on law and order which rest on the premise that no society will thrive in an atmosphere of lawlessness and disorder.


“This administration recognize that as Africa’s fastest growing mega city, law and order are critical pillars for sustaining democratic life. The state government has dedicated an enormous amount of manpower and financial resources in seeking better living standard by provision of roads, drainages and transportation system to mention but a few and it has enacted traffic and environmental laws to ensure the state remains environmentally friendly all the time.

“Yet some have chosen or deliberately refused to obey these laws. This is not entirely surprising as the history of mankind as shown that obedience to societal laws has never been entirely voluntary. Therefore, prompt and fair adjudication as well as the certainty of enforcement and penalties constitute the necessary inducement for respect and obedience of laws. For most people, where justice is delayed or denied, the victim is bound to feel some frustration, outrage or even further disrespect for law and order and if the same trend is allowed to take whole the very basis of an orderly society wears out gradually and steadily,” he said.

On her part, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade said with the launch of the Mobile Court, the era of recklessness and lawlessness on Lagos roads were gone for good, as no government would fold its arms and watch the violation of traffic and environmental laws.

Justice Atilade, who lamented the death of a 25-year-old British Nigerian graduate, Doyin Serah Fagbenro who was killed by a reckless Danfo Driver about three weeks ago in Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos, said the story of the victim was just one of the many deaths occurring as a result of reckless driving and indiscipline.

“This must not be allowed to continue. Let it be known to all that the era of recklessness and impunity on our public roads and highways in Lagos State is gone. Those who chose to make life difficult for other people especially on our roads should have a rethink as they will henceforth be held accountable for their deeds,” Justice Atilade warned.

The special Offences court was established in 1994 to try essentially environmental Offences and it has been vested with powers to sit in any convenient place close to the scene of commission of any offence triable by it.
Though summary in nature, the proceedings before the Mobile Court will be operated in according with rules of natural justice and fair hearing.

There will be lawyers from the office of the Public Defender for any defendant who so desires to be defended, while defendants can also appoint any lawyer of their choice to defend them.

http://www.lasgidionline.com.ng/2016/02/lagos-state-government-launches-mobile.html

More photos from the launching here :http://www.lasgidionline.com.ng/2016/02/lagos-state-government-launches-mobile.html

Second to comment.
God is faithful!

BACK TO THE TOPIC:

Good things in the offing.

Bye

Will the sentence pronounced by mobile courts be served in mobile prisons too?

Lagos is at least a decade ahead of Nigeria. No wonder how 'brothers' call Lagos no man's land!!
SAI Lagos

Kx:
Will the sentence pronounced by mobile courts be served in mobile prisons too?

I don't think they will sentence anybody to jail. They will probably be giving the offenders 'fine' and if you can't pay the fine, then that's your own problem. This is another way of generating IGR!!

mobile prison things.

Mobile court has been existing since the time of Fashola. What's Ambode inaugurating again?

August 2015 http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/08/06/frsc-mobile-court-sentences-2-drivers-to-jail/

not bad at least people will respect the law.

We need good roads

are the vans innoson...

Kx:
Will the sentence pronounced by mobile courts be served in mobile prisons too?

More like fines.

Good

Misplaced priority

Settlement on the go, mobile shop.

ambode is running from common sense

Instant judgement

more revenue should you disobey. Am sure other states will follow suit which is a welcome development to me.

Hahahah

realone2012:
Lagos is at least a decade ahead of Nigeria. No wonder how 'brothers' call Lagos no man's land!!
SAI Lagos

I concur.

Lagos is really really ahead. we need development. this is what we should applaud n praise the government. Not when somebody arrest another Man unlawfully n we will start praising him n count that as achievement.

some ibos will come and say it was an ibo mans idea now

Extremely long writeup

That's commendable but the Road safety corps have been doing that since inception

I concur to this

APC is the party

Commendable, but it is not Ambode or Fashola's idea. Mobile prisons have been in existence for sometime.

FRSC mobile court (a FG agency) as of 2015 sentenced 2 Dangote drivers to prison with hard labour.


This doesn't call for celebration from uncivilised big0ts. I hope the agency board and workers will not turn themselves to extortionists.

Good development.

Hmmmn Ambode and APC

Instead of fines for the light offenders, I prefer making them do community services like, grass clearing, cleaner, road sanitation, sweeping etc for some days or months, indirectly saving/cutting cost

That's how it's being done in the west, it's not all about court sending them to jail for light offences.

We need also grassroot orientation of how to use the road, road signs, dos/dont when on the road because I am sure all these trailer drivers 80% bus drivers too do not attend driving sch classes, na teach me, I don sabi

Any vehicle that fail emission test, Danfo, Tipper, Trailer ,Generators etc etc will be thrown into the lake of fire .So if you think you will be pumping harmful smokes/ emission into our enviromet like reckless abandoned is in serious trouble. Buy XFT fuel treatment to save you from all these trouble. A word is enough for the wise gbagaaaaa...un

I doubt if it'll work


You can't give what you don't have