The sector commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Bauchi State, Yusuf Abdullahi, has said there is need to create a Shari’a law to prosecute traffic offenders in order to curtail road crashes in the country.
Abdullahi while speaking with journalists yesterday stressed the need for introduction of the Shari’a law into traffic rules because the present laws guiding road crashes are not stiff enough.
He said introduction of Shari’a law would curtail bad behaviour, as most of the crashes are due to negative attitude by motorists and other road users.
Abdullahi said the measure would instill discipline, promote respect for traffic rules and promote safe road habits among motorists. He said it would also reduce ugly scenes on the road occasioned by reckless driving.
“Our people are too careless, and the vehicle owners don’t bother to check them. If we don’t introduce Sharia law, many road users, especially in this area would not start thinking twice before doing whatever they want to do. People don’t want to take a rest, they go over speeding because they want to make money.
“If the law is introduced, by the time you are involved in a crash, it would be investigated, the guilty and his family would also be responsible for anything that happens in that vehicle.
“In a situation where the driver loses his life in a crash, if found guilty, the owner of the vehicle would also be held responsible as it would be revealed that he didn’t do his homework before giving out the vehicle.
“The extant law is working, however, the extent to which it works is very important because in countries where Shari’a law is being implemented, it guides conducts to a level that even relatives and friends guide their relations in terms of what to do or not do,” he said.
He further said the offender is not left alone to bear the penalty, as Sharia law equally brings in the family members.
He noted that the conventional law does not appeal to attitude or take care of conduct to the final end, rather it only looks at the immediate happening while the Sharia law looks deeper.
