FRSC prosecutes 35 traffic offenders on Enugu–Port Harcourt Road

No fewer than 35 traffic offenders were on Thursday prosecuted in the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Mobile Court at Awgu, Enugu State, on  Enugu–Port Harcourt Road.

The traffic offenders were prosecuted for various traffic violations, which included overloading, over-speeding, non-use of seat belts, non-installation of speed limiting device and use of expired, wore-out or no spare tyres etc.

Briefing News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the court session, FRSC Unit Commander for Awgu, Mr Emmanuel Afogun, said that among the 35 offenders that appeared before the court, 33 were fined and two were discharged and acquitted.

Afogun noted that the major offences that most of the traffic offender violated were non-installation of the speed limiting device and use of expired and wore-out tyres or no spare tyres.

ALSO READ: Agriculture: Experts harp on innovations for youths at IITA forum

He revealed that the Corps had recently discovered that major cause of accidents remained tyre burst occasioned by expired or wore-out tyres and over speeding, adding that it was why the FRSC officers concentrated on the two offences.

“This mobile court is part of the ongoing FRSC Eid-El-Kabir Special Operation meant to sensitise motorists to the need to remain safety conscious all the times.

“In between the prosecution, we carried out one-on-one sensitisation to drivers, even as their passengers were also listening.

“We focused more on commercial buses in order for them to do the needful by installing speed limiting devices to their vehicles,’’ he said.

The unit commander, however, lauded a sister FRSC unit command – Ozalla Unit Command – and the Nigeria Police for their cooperation and synergy that made the traffic mobile court a huge success without any hitch.

One of the drivers prosecuted for non-installation of speed limiting device, Mr Sunday Eze, told NAN that he was happy that the court headed by a Magistrate, Mrs Ngozi Agbo, reduced his fine after he explained his family challenges.

“I am grateful to the court and the FRSC for being lenient to me, but I have promised the magistrate that I will install the speed limiting device before next week,’’ Eze said.

Another offender, Mr Sameul Ojinta, who was acquitted by the court, thanked the court for hearing his prayers of leaving driver’s licence at home due to urgent call that his father was hospitalised in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Ituku/Ozalla.

NAN reports that the FRSC Eid-El-Kabir Special Operation, which started on Aug. 9, will end on Aug. 16.