Lagos State Government on Friday inaugurated the Special Offences (Mobile) Court to summarily deal with rising cases of traffic and environmental abuses in the state.
The court, which will be manned by highly-qualified magistrates in the state, will summarily try cases involving traffic and environmental offenders.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said the launch of the mobile court, was one of the ways through which the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode aims to broaden the pathway that guaranty citizens’ access to justice and at the same time ensure the preservation of civility in the society.
He said the development was an institutional reaction to identified societal challenges, and that henceforth traffic offenders such as motorcyclists who drive against traffic and refuse to obey traffic signs like zebra crossing and traffic light indication, would no longer find it easy to get away with commission of such crimes in the state.
He also said commercial bus drivers popularly known as Danfo drivers on motion with their doors open thereby endangering lives of those of their passengers and other road users, would equally be prosecuted in the court, while anyone crossing the highway where pedestrian bridges are provided, would equally face trial.
Kazeem, who disclosed that henceforth driving on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes of non-designated vehicles by anyone including military personnel, would attract prosecution, also warned people to desist from parking at undesignated places and indulging in noise pollution and street trading among others.
On her part, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade lamented the death of a 25-year-old British Nigerian graduate, Doyin Serah Fagbenro who was killed by a reckless Danfo driver about three weeks ago in Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos, said the story of the victim was just one of the many deaths occurring as a result of reckless driving and indiscipline.