One Way Drive: Truck Driver Jailed

A court in Nigeria’s foremost commercial hub, Lagos has sentenced a truck driver to three months imprisonment for driving against  traffic.

Driving against traffic is rampant in the Lagos metropolis and the new Road Traffic Law stipulates year imprisonment for a first time offender and three years imprisonment for subsequent offence plus the seizure of the owner’s vehicle.

But Magistrate Yetunde Pinhero of the Special Offences Court at Alausa, Ikeja was lenient in her judgment when she slammed three months imprisonment on the offending truck driver, 33 years old Sagir Abubakar, who hails from Yobe State, Northeastern Nigeria.

Abubakar was arrested by officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special (Enforcement) Unit on 18 September, 2012 around 12.40 pm on Nigeria’s longest bridge, Third Mainland Bridge.

He was first arraigned in court two days after his arrest but his lawyer asked for adjournment of the case, which was granted.

Appearing in court on Tuesday for the resumption of the case, Abubakar made a u-turn and pleaded guilty after he had earlier pleaded not guilty to get bail from the court.

Having pleaded guilty, the magistrate sentenced him to three months imprisonment with an option of N100, 000 fine and seven days driving training at the Lagos State Driver’s Institute, LASDRI for recertification.

Unable to provide the N100, 000 fine option instantly, Abubakar was sent to Badagry Prison in a  Lagos suburb.

The convict was earlier slammed with one count charge, which reads: “that you Sagir Abubakar on 18 September, 2012 at about 12.40 pm on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State drove a trailer with registration number XB 323 FKA by driving same against oncoming traffic and committed an offence contrary to section 7(b), Lagos Road Traffic Law 2012 and punishable under section 7 (b)(1) of same law.”

—Kazeem Ugbodaga