Lagos Driver Gets One Year Imprisonment For Driving Against Traffic

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Monday, December 15th, 2014

A 29-year old driver, Kayode Adebayo has been sentenced to one year in prison for driving against traffic in Lagos.

The driver who appeared before the presiding Magistrate Jadesola Adeyemi at the Special Offences Court at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos pleaded guilty to the five count charges which include driving against traffic, dangerous driving, breach of public peace and obstructing LASTMA official for carrying out his official duty.

Adedayo, who was driving a commercial Paragon bus with registration number EKY 230 XG around 12:52 pm on Monday was sighted by LASTMA officials plying the expressway on Ikorodu road which was prohibited to commercial bus operators.

In order to prevent arrest, he dangerously climbed the culvert, cross to the other side and drove against traffic.

The driver who ran away with the bus later gave himself up alongside the owner of the bus and was eventually arrested and handed over to the police. Magistrate Adeyemi sentenced the driver to one year imprisonment without an option of fine and also awarded a fine of N130, 000 in addition to the forfeiture of the vehicle to the state government.

In a similar development, 29-year old Tunde Agboola, a commercial bus driver was mandated by Magistrate Jadesola Adeyemi of the Lagos Task Force Court, Alausa to pay compensation to the tune of N50,000 to a LASTMA official Babatunde Abiodun for assaulting him while performing his legal duty.

The magistrate opined that her judgement was in line with the conflict resolution thrust of the administration and revealed further that since the suspect has pleaded guilty to the four-count charge and regretted his action, he should be given a second chance.