Traffic offenders risk two-month jail term as FRSC intensifies expressway patrol

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has convicted a traffic offender to two months’ imprisonment without the option of fine following a special joint intervention patrol along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

The conviction, which was handed down by the Ojodu-Abiodun Magisterial District Court, stemmed from a coordinated enforcement operation launched recently to address the persistent and dangerous practice of motorists driving against the flow of traffic along the Kara–Opic axis of the expressway.

In a statement signed by Olusegun Ogungbemide, assistant corps marshal, corps public education officer, FRSC, the illegal act had escalated due to the ongoing bridge expansion and joint construction works on both the inward and outward sections of the corridor.

Disturbed by the increasing recklessness and the attendant risk of avoidable road traffic crashes, Kehinde Ganiyu Hamzat, Lagos sector commander, corps commander, initiated a joint intervention patrol in collaboration with the Ogun State Sector Command, the Corridor Commander, officers of the Nigeria Police (Warewa, Ojodu-Abiodun, and Isheri Divisions), TRACE, and the Nigerian Army.

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During the patrol, officers were strategically deployed at identified flashpoints notorious for one-way driving and related violations.

The enforcement team intercepted one Koko Moses, driver of a Volkswagen bus with Registration Number MUS89YG, while driving against the flow of traffic.

Further checks revealed that the offender was also driving without a valid driver’s licence, compounding the gravity of his infractions and posing a serious threat to public safety.

The offender was promptly charged in court by Ayegbede John, Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Warewa Police Station.

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Upon arraignment, the court found him guilty of the offences and sentenced him to two (2) months’ imprisonment without the option of fine, sending a clear and uncompromising message that impunity on the nation’s highways will no longer be tolerated.

The intervention patrol recorded an immediate reduction in incidents of one-way driving along the corridor, demonstrating the effectiveness of coordinated enforcement and sustained visibility.

Akinwumi Fasakin, Ogun state sector commander, commended the commissioner of police, Ogun State, the Nigerian Army, TRACE, and all participating agencies for their swift deployment and active participation.

Fasskin appreciated the joint team for effective coordination and leadership in ensuring the success of the operation, while reiterating that FRSC will continue to maintain zero tolerance for traffic violations that endanger lives.

He assured the motoring public that sustained enforcement operations will continue along critical corridors nationwide as he admonished motorists to obey traffic rules, cooperate with traffic management directives during construction works, and prioritise safety at all times.

Juliet Onyema is a transport journalist who reports on Nigeria’s transport and automobile industry. She covers emerging Electric Vehicles (EVs), ranging from adoption to usage, automobile firms and transport policies which affect them, and also recurring trends affecting commuters’ mobility interstate and intrastate.

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