Lagos mobile court in action . NAN Photo

The newly-inaugurated Lagos State Mobile Court on Wednesday convicted 41, out of 52 prosecuted traffic and environmental offenders arrested by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force).

The Task Force, in a statement by Mr Adebayo Taofiq, its Public Affairs Officer, said that 14 people were arrested within Agege, 22 from Oshodi and 16 at areas in Apapa, totalling 52 offenders in all.

The statement stated that the mobile courts, which sat in an open space simultaneously at Apapa, Oshodi and Agege Local Government Areas, had in their panoply, magistrates, lawyers, representatives from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), registrars, cashiers, policemen and towing vehicles.

It said that out of the 52 prosecuted offenders, 41 were convicted for offences punishable under Section 10 (1) (a) Street Trading and Illegal Markets Prohibition Law of 2003, and were made to pay various fines as options to terms of three to six months imprisonment.

“Two motorcyclists and four tricycle revenue collectors that were also prosecuted, had their cases struck out for lack of proper documentary evidence.

“Trial in the cases of the remaining five tricycle operators have been adjourned till Thursday, Feb. 11.

“The adjournment was to enable prosecuting counsel, Mr Jimoh Quadri, produce and tender videos and pictures of exact location of arrest from Mr Wilson Alaba, the police officer who Led the operations from the Lagos State Task Force, as evidence to guide the court’s proceedings,’’ it said.

The statement listed the magistrates that convicted the offenders as Mr Nurudeen Layeni (Agege Local Government), Mr Olalekan Aka-Bashorun (Apapa Local Government) and Mr Patrick Nwaka (Oshodi Local Government).
It said that with the commencement of prosecution by the mobile courts, there would be sanity in the system as drivers and riders, including other members of the public, were now expected to comport themselves.

According to the statement, it will make the public comply with every content, as contained inside the Lagos State Traffic Environmental Laws of 2012 and the Lagos State Environmental Laws.

The Lagos State Government inaugurated the Special Offences (Mobile) Courts  on 5 February to deal with growing cases of traffic and environmental abuses, with a view to bringing sanity and civility in the conduct of residents.