Mobile Court Convicts 46 Offenders Over Traffic Violations

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Cross River State Sector Command, has conducted a Mobile Court exercise in Calabar, where 46 traffic offenders were arraigned and convicted for various road safety infractions.

Presided over by Magistrate Abigail Asuquo, the court convicted offenders on charges ranging from attempting to corrupt marshals on duty, overloading, and driver’s licence violations, among others.

The FRSC spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, in a statement, said out of the number, 10 persons who attempted to corrupt operatives on duty were fined ₦10,000 each, while another 10 offenders, guilty of overloading, were also fined ₦10,000 each. The court further imposed fines totalling ₦80,000 for driver’s licence violations.

18 other offenders were penalised differently for infractions bordering on faulty light and caution signs, worn-out tyres, cracked windscreens, passenger manifest violations, and failure to install speed limiters. However, one of the defendants was cautioned and discharged after due sensitisation by the court.

Speaking after the court sitting, the sector commander, Corps Commander Innocent Etuk, noted that the Mobile Court exercise remains a critical tool in curbing road traffic violations, deterring recalcitrant offenders, and instilling discipline among road users.

He further emphasised that the decision of the court would serve as a deterrence and strengthen compliance with traffic regulations across the state.

In his remark, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, reiterated the commitment of the Corps to ensuring safer roads in line with its 2025 strategic goal of reducing road traffic crashes and fatalities by 10 per cent. He stressed that strict enforcement, continuous public enlightenment campaigns, and strengthened collaborations with stakeholders would remain the bedrock of FRSC’s operations.

The corps marshal, therefore, called on motorists nationwide to desist from acts capable of undermining enhancement of safety on the roads like bribing marshals on duty, noting that obedience to traffic laws, as well as proper vehicle maintenance, were non-negotiable in the collective quest for safer motoring environment.