The Lagos State Taskforce in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has auctioned 134 forfeited and abandoned vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja.
The auction excercise which took place today witnessed members of the public troop out in numbers to participate in the sale of vehicles which were confiscated for various traffic offences ranging from driving on one-way to willful obstruction of traffic across various parts of the State.
Speaking to Newsmen at the event was the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Shola Jejeloye who stated that the terminating end of any enforcement exercise carried out by the Agency is the Mobile Court who determines the fate of vehicles seized for traffic infractions.
“My role as a Police officer is to carry out enforcement exercises one of which is confiscation of vehicles for traffic offenses, and handing them over to the mobile court for judgement. I dont determine the fate our outcome of any vehicle brought before the magistrate in court”
Jejeloye enlightened members of the public that traffic offense is not a criminal offense thus the need for any offender who has been arrested to have the boldness and confidence to face the mobile court.
“Some of the cars being auctioned here were confiscated for obstruction of traffic which only attracts a fine but some people never showed up to claim these cars thats why they have been forfeitted to the State Government after the stipulated period and then auctioned” he stated.
Also present at the event was the Coordinator of The Lagos State Special Offenses Mobile Court, Mrs Arinola Ogbara-Banjoko who described the exercise as seemless and well organised and also disclosed that all 134 vehicles on display had gone through due process of the court of law before being forfeited to the State Government for varying offenses.
CSP Jejeloye further addressed members of the public present at the auction exercise to desist from committing crime or traffic offences as no one would be spared if found wanting. He hoped that this exercise would serve as a dettrent to other road users who are fond of driving against traffic and warned that the long arm of the law would soon catch up with them.
He said that enforcement exercise would continue in earnest to ensure that sanity is maintained on the roads following the ban on the activities of Okada operators across various parts of the State.