₦airaland Forum

Obinoscopy: Naptu2, your maturity, wisdom, intelligence, comportment and savvy contributions here on nairaland leaves nothing short of admiration. Keep it up, I'm impressed! In case you don't know I'm an ardent admirer of your didactic contributions. Forgive my grandiloquence and grammatical exuberance

[size=14pt]LASTMA can’t impose fine on traffic offenders – Court[/size]

On September 22, 2011 · In News
By INNOCENT ANABA


LAGOS- Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has declared that Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, lacks the power to impose fine on traffic offenders.

Delivering judgment in the suit filed by Mr. Jonathan Odutola, Justice Abang declared that sections 9, 11, 12 and 13 of the law establishing LASTMA is unconstitutional and of no effect.

The judge not only awarded N500,000 against LASTMA, but stated that the four sections of its law were contrary to Section 36 of the Constitution, which gives the right of fair- hearing to every Nigerian.

He held that while LASTMA has the power to arrest traffic offenders, it does not have the powers to impose fine on them, adding that instead, it is a court of law that has power to impose fine on anybody who contravenes the law.

The judge submitted that the imposition of fine on any traffic offender by LASTMA amounted to being a judge in its own cause.

He said: “Sections 9, 11, 12, and 13 of the law establishing LASTMA is unconstitutional. It is against the spirit of the Section 36 of the Constitution, which gives right of fair-hearing to every Nigerian. Moreover, that would amount to being a judge in your own cause.”

Odutola had dragged LASTMA to court for unlawfully impounding his car and imposing and slamming an illegal fine on him.

In the suit, he stated that last March, while driving his car on Third Mainland Bridge, it suddenly developed some mechanical problems.

According to him, to ensure that the car did not obstruct free flow of traffic, he immediately called a towing-van which towed the vehicle completely out of the road.

He said he also paid towing-van operator some money for the service rendered.

Odutola stated that he also called his mechanics to come and rescue him and the vehicle, adding that as soon as the mechanics arrived, some policemen patrolling the bridge who apparently wanted him to give them money refused them to work on the car.

When he insisted, Odutola and the mechanics were thoroughly beaten and harassed.

The policemen then called LASTMA officials at Sura, Lagos Island, who immediately came and towed the applicant’s car to their office and consequently slammed him with a fine if he must get his car back

pantheon: Does someone know what is second flag is and why it's there? The red/black/white and green one?

blink182: Nice job you doing here

case study: are you serious?? Thats our "oval office?? Thank God someone is giving us a peep into what aso rock looks like. Mehn, those guys don hide that place frm public glare for ages. Not bad afterall, although seriously wondering how d photographer got to do this and how d OP laid hands on such a confidential property

naptu2: Cool. You can see the office from another angle and other pictures of the Aso Rock Villa, State House Marina, Akinola Aguda House, Dodan Barracks and Lagos House Marina on this thread https://www.nairaland.com/951565/aso-rock-belongs-nigerians...in-democracy

ginuwine: pls house i just got unto dis platform dis morning, cld any1 jst let me in on how to drop a topic.

[size=14pt]Govt to auction seized bullion van, truck[/size]

September 21, 2012 by Sesan Olufowobi


There were indications on Thursday that the Lagos State Government was making preparations to auction a bullion van and a truck impounded in the state for violating traffic laws.

The state Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences enforcement Unit had impounded the bullion van belonging to Bankers Warehouse in August.

The van with registration number BV 171 BDG was impounded on Creek Road, Apapa for driving against traffic while conveying money to a new generation bank in the area.

Also, a truck was impounded on the Third Mainland Bridge on Monday, also for driving against traffic.

A source said, “The vehicles were actually confiscated by the government. And since the governor did not want unused vehicles in the secretariat premises, they have to be disposed of.”

The task force Chairman, Mr. Bayo Sulaiman, confirmed the auction plan.

He said the government would, however, wait for two months before auctioning the vehicles.

He said, “Immediately we caught the drivers violating the traffic law, they automatically forfeited their vehicles to the government.

“The Section Seven of the road traffic law and Section Seven of the environmental law prescribed automatic seizure of any vehicle impounded in violation of the laws.

“But the laws also stated that we must wait for two month before we begin the process of auctioning such vehicles.

“There is no room for negotiation in this matter. The law is very clear. If we don’t do this, people will not respect these laws. We must do what the laws say.”

Sulaiman appealed to residents of the state to always obey the law, saying the government would no longer listen to “sentimental reasons” for flouting the law.

He said the task force was also working hard to rid the state of “miscreants” masquerading as “land grabbers.”

He said, “There is no space for them to operate in Lagos. It is an act of lawlessness for some people to just resort to violence and intimidation over land. Government will not allow it.”