8th February, 2021
By Taiwo Okanlawon
The Lagos State Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the State TaskForce on Environmental and Special Offences on Monday, on Monday, supervised the public auction of 83 forfeited vehicles on the orders of the Lagos State Special Offences Mobile Court for the violation of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018.
The auctioned vehicles were earlier impounded in different areas of the State.
The auction which held at the premises of the State Taskforce in Alausa, Ikeja in accordance with the forfeiture order of the Court, had the Chairman of the State Taskforce, the Coordinator of the State Special Offences Mobile Court, and representatives of the Ministry of Justice present at the well organised and transparent public auction, attended by a large number of residents.
Speaking to Journalists during the Auction, the Coordinator, Lagos State Special Offences Mobile Court, Mrs Arinola Ogbara said, “there is a lot of processes and transparency to the public auction. Moreso, some of the people whose cars were seized have been told to pay a fine without their cars being forfeited based on the strength of evidence they presented at the Mobile Court. Driving against traffic (one way) has caused a huge number of accidents and untold losses to property and human lives.”
According to her, observers have agreed that it is necessary to sanitise the state of reckless drivers who break the law with impunity.
On his part, the Chairman of the State Taskforce, CSP Shola Jejeloye, while speaking with news men said the auction exercise was not meant to punish but to correct.
“I do not see what we have come to do today as an auction but as a correction and detterent for some Lagosians. The Lagos Commissioner of Police has instructed us to go out there as policemen and do our best to ensure free flow of traffic” he said.
The auction exercise was conducted by a licensed Auctioneer, Mr Ade Onanuga, of CR Limited Auction House.