DRIVING AGAINST TRAFFIC TANTAMOUNT TO ATTEMPTED MURDER, SAYS TASKFORCE CHIEF

The Lagos State Taskforce has said that driving against traffic (one-way) is akin to committing attempted murder.

Chairman of the agency, Shola Jejeloye, a Chief Superintendent (CSP) made this known to reporters yesterday during the public auction of vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja.

Jejeloye said most of the vehicles auctioned were confiscated for driving against traffic and endangering their lives and that of other Lagosians.

“Some of the individuals who have come here to bid do not know that if we had not confiscated some of these vehicles while committing those offences, they would have killed pedestrians, bidders or other road users who are unaware that there is a vehicle approaching through the wrong side of the road. From our records, 80 percent of victims hit and run on the roads that were knocked down especially early in the morning were caused by motorists who drove against traffic,” he said.

He added that some of the supposed victims who pleaded for their vehicles to be auctioned to them at the auction ground were serial and notorious one-way defaulters.

Jejeloye said: “One of them was the man who came with his mother (widow) to reclaim his vehicle. If you recall correctly, he was arrested sometime in May for driving one-way all the way from Oshodi to Mile 2 and even assaulted the officers trying to arrest him by biting off the officer’s finger. He was charged accordingly, spent three months in Badagry Correctional Facility, and his vehicle impounded.

“This is the reason why we urge members of the public not to be sentimental about actions like this because anyone on the receiving end would feel the pain caused by one-way drivers.

“We have also had other incidents where a heavily pregnant woman was knocked down by a driver who drove against traffic along Apapa, leaving her family members in disarray. These actions are needless and can be curbed if drivers just exercise a bit of patience and restraint on the roads, but in the case where they fail to do so, then they will be apprehended and brought before the Magistrate.”