LAGOS State Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, has directed that the State Task Force headed by SP Olayinka Egbeyemi should immediately commence arrest of drivers of all unauthorised private vehicles using the siren, revolving light and those covering their plates numbers, emphasising that engaging in driving such unauthorised vehicles is “purely illegitimate.”
Egbeyemi disclosed this on Sunday in a statement made available to newsmen by the Agency’s spokesperson, Mr Adebayo Taofiq.
This was just as the Lagos State Task Force Chairman announced that his officers and men had arrested a bullion van driver, Mr Oke Onyeche (48yrs), who he said had since been charged to court for prosecution as directed by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi, who he was of the belief that nobody was above the law.
According to the Task Force boss, the said driver, who has now been arraigned before Chief Magistrate Amos Olajuwon of the State Mobile Court at Oshodi was arrested by the enforcement team of the Agency at Ogunnusi Road, Omole Bus-Stop at Ojodu area of the state.
Egbeyemi, while expressing surprise that motorists, including private car owners, could still be driving against traffic without fear of imminent collision with on-coming vehicles despite the level of enlightenment campaign by the state government, confirmed that majority of the motorists so far apprehended for this particular traffic offence were educated people who ordinarily should have obeyed the law without any strict enforcement.
The chairman, therefore, urged motorists, particularly commercial bus drivers, to desists from driving against traffic and obey different traffic signs conspicuously displayed by traffic officers particularly around Dopemu, Agege/Pen cinema, Apapa-Oshodi express way, Mile 2 and other parts of Lagos.
Egbeyemi said this was because the construction of alternative routes for motorists across all Local Governments (LGs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) of the state by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was meant to ease traffic congestion in Lagos
The statement said the bullion van driver, Onyeche, admitted driving against traffic as he was in a hurry to get to his destination on time and was oblivious of the fact that he could be caught, pleading that the government should temper justice with mercy on him.
“I want the government to please temper justice with mercy on me,” he said.
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