The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Cross River State Command has prosecuted 47 individuals for various road traffic offenses, securing convictions for 46 and acquitting one.
The Mobile Court sitting was held at the Calabar-Odukpani road axis and presided by Magistrate Abigail Asuquo.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cross River Sector Command, Mr. Innocent Etuk said road safety mobile courts are specialized courts that conduct on-site sessions on a monthly basis to prosecute traffic violators, aiming to deter potential offenders.
Mr Etuk reiterated that the mobile courts also aim to curb road accidents by holding drivers accountable through swift prosecution and punishment at the scene of the offense, promoting a sense of responsibility among drivers.
“This is a mobile court in line with the establishment of the Federal Road Safety Establishment Act 2007, sections seven and eight which also empowers the court to establish a mobile court. These are part of the focus on intervention patrols.”
He further explained that 10 offenders were apprehended for attempting to Corrupt Marshals on Duty, while 12 of them were held for Seat Belt use Violation, and 11 were accused of Over Loading.
“We also arrested 13 of the suspects for Driving License Violation, 12 of them are here for Number Plate Violation, and 2 were accused of Failure to Move Over, while 9 are for Vehicle license Violation, among others.
Two of the offenders, a private car owner, Joseph Adie and a truck driver, Tekula Felix, pleaded guilty to their respective charges in the mobile court, regretting that their actions had distorted other activities for the day.
“They cleared me and asked of my driving license, in the process of bringing out my driving license, they said I should give out my car key, I did not want to hesitate to give them the key in order not to compound the issue,” Joseph Adie said.
For Tekula Felix, ” In this case I’m just pleading that they should see how they can temper justice with mercy on me. l promise to make up for my offence by ensuring l keep to traffic laws. This has frustrated all my activities for the day.”
They however commended the FRSC Cross River State Command for its commitment to reducing road crashes by ensuring that drivers are held accountable for their actions.
