Lagos set to prosecute traffic, environmental offenders in mobile court

Commercial bus drivers popularly known as ‘Danfo Drivers’ who often stop and pick passengers at places not designated as bus stops or keep their vehicle doors opened while on motion, would from this week be prosecuted at a newly inaugurated mobile court by the state government. Also, leaders of churches and mosques and others who […]

Commercial bus drivers popularly known as ‘Danfo Drivers’ who often stop and pick passengers at places not designated as bus stops or keep their vehicle doors opened while on motion, would from this week be prosecuted at a newly inaugurated mobile court by the state government.
Also, leaders of churches and mosques and others who engage in noise pollution, as well as people who are fond of dashing across highways where there are pedestrian bridges are in for a hectic time as officials of the state government would henceforth, arrest such people and produce them for prosecution at the mobile court.
The Lagos State Mobile Court was inaugurated last week. It would be manned by highly-qualified magistrates of the state judiciary.
The state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said the launch of the court was one of the ways through which the present administration aimed to broaden the pathway that guaranteed citizens’ access to justice.
He said the intention behind the initiative was to bring sanity and civility to the conduct of residents of Lagos State, as well as to summarily deal with the growing cases of traffic and environmental abuses across the state, adding that the development was an institutional reaction to identified societal challenges.
The Attorney-General said 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.
He 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.
On her part, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade said that 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.
Eko Trust learnt that proceedings before the mobile court will be operated in according with the rules of natural justice and fair hearing. The special offences court was established by law in 1994 to try essentially environmental offences. It had been vested with powers to sit in any convenient place close to the scene where an alleged offence that it is mandated to try was committed.
Checks at the Ministry of Justice revealed that there would be lawyers from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) for any defendant who so desired to be defended, while defendants could also appoint any lawyer of their choice to defend them.