By Precious Oham, Udesinanna Stephen
No fewer than 28 motorists have been convicted by a mobile court constituted by the Ekiti State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC for various traffic offences.
The motorists were fined between two thousand to twenty thousand Naira depending on the gravity of the offence which include overload, non-usage of seatbelt, use of phone while driving, among others with punishments of fines, imprisonment and community service.
Speaking with Journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the state Sector Commander, Elijah Olusola Joseph said the corps commenced the exercise due to non-adherence to traffic rules and regulations by drivers.
He noted that the exercise is part of measures to mitigate the incessant road accidents especially during the ’ember’ month which coincides with the yuletide season.
According to him; “We are conducting a Mobile Court sitting because for quite a long time now we have not done that. So, we deem it fit that it is not about writing tickets alone, we want people to have the feel of the court so that whatever they are arrested for they could be able to plea their case, and if the Magistrate deem it fit they will release the person to go, those who can not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt will pay some fines.
“Let the users of the road comport themselves very well, most especially during this ember month because people have always have this belief that during the ember month, there are some evil forces operating in the ember month, but we have been trying to disabuse people minds that there is nothing like that.
“If people are cautious while on the road and patient, we will be able to avert most of these things that happen during the ember month. So, we want people to maintain traffic rules and maintain sanity while on the road.
“This activity is going to be sustained, it is going to be a continuous activity from now, by next week we will be moving to our units, we will rotate it and come back here again. Of course, this activity will go round Ekiti State.”
ROUNDOFFNEWS gathered that the Mobil Court is headed by Senior Magistrate Oladele Ogunlade and Prosecutor Kehinde Ajidara.
It was also gathered that Section 10 of the FRSC Establishment Act 2007 empowers the corps to establish a Mobile Court for the persecution of traffic offenders.