Other Traffic Offenders Squad during an operation in Lagos State on
December 7, 2020.
The Lagos State government has launched a special
security team to curb the activities of one-way drivers and other
traffic offenders in the state.
In the maiden enforcement of the new operation codenamed
‘Anti-Oneway and Other Traffic Offenders Squad’ on Monday, the team
combed the Ikeja, Ojota, and Maryland areas of the state.
During the operation, commercial motorcycle riders who defied
the state’s traffic restriction order were arrested.
The team also burst a residential area in Ikeja, habouring
commercial motorcycle riders flouting the state’s Transport Sector
Reform Law of 2018.
Various motorcycles were retrieved from the building while some
of the offenders were arrested in the enforcement for
prosecution.
A Superintendent of Police, Shola Jejeloye, who is the head of
the team, explained that the operation was set up to complement the
activities of the existing Lagos State Environmental Sanitation
Enforcement Agency (Task Force) being led by Yinka Egbeyemi, a
Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
He stated that the team would not be lenient on those flouting
Lagos traffic regulations and warned motorists who have the
intention of driving on one-way lanes to desist from the act.
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“We have been mandated by the Commissioner of Police to stop
acts of indiscipline by some motorists who are in the habit of
flouting traffic regulations of Lagos State,” said Jejeloye who is
the commander of policemen in the Governor’s Monitoring Team
(GMT).
He added, “We will discharge this duty without fear or favour,
and our activities will be professionally exercised in line with
the mandate of the team. I, therefore, urge motorists to obey the
traffic laws and be patient when driving on the roads.
“We will not be lenient on motorists that are in the habit of
committing traffic offences. Offenders arrested will be prosecuted
and have their vehicles confiscated.”
The Anti-Oneway and Other Traffic Offenders Squad was raised by
the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, at the
instance of the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Part of its mandates included to arrest and impound vehicles
plying one-way, BRT lanes, and motorcyclists operating in
restricted areas.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has said Nigeria is not
only at war but also is in a war zone.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
Soyinka made this statement today against the backdrop of
large-scale insecurity in the country while launching his latest
novel, Chronicles Of The Happiest People On Earth, a book he
published at 86.
![image](/2020/10/NWLRland.jpg")
“I think we are not merely at war, we are in a war zone, ” the
literary icon maintained.
The Nobel Laureate also said there is a high level of insecurity
in the country so much so that people now sleep with one eye open
and the other closed, and cautioned that unless our leaders allow
decentralization of governance and accept that they have failed, we
might have a new set of conflagration along different lines unlike
before.
“The term, one eye open and one eye close has become a common
parlance everywhere” he said.
Asked how long it took him to write the novel, the Nobel
Laureate said it took him forever, adding that writing the book was
a problem he dealt with for many years. And he had to escape twice,
first to Senegal and then to Ghana before he could concentrate on
the book. And he actually spent about two years to write it.
“I just could not concentrate sufficiently within these
borders,” he maintained.
Asked whether he feels things have changed since independence,
the literary icon said nothing has really changed, adding that the
more things seem to be changing, the more they remain the same.
Soyinka also decried the dependence of Nigerians on religion,
adding that it reduces our humanity. He also said it is only when
Nigerians learn to reduce their total dependence on religion that
that is the only way they can habit with it. However, the Nobel
Laureate said believing in something rather than oneself enlarges
one’s humanity.
Asked again what his mood was, whether it was pessimistic or
optimistic, the Nobel Laureate succinctly said: Happiness, adding
that he takes everyday as it comes.
It was an evening of music spiced with readings of excerpts from
the book, Chronicles Of The Happiest People On Earth. Guests who
read excerpts from the book alongside the author included Somtom
Asibelibua, who read in English, French and Spanish as well as
Richard Move Damijo.
Guests in attendance included the Minister of Works and Housing,
Rotimi Amaechi, Chief, Newton Jibunoh and Professor Ebun Clark.