Nigerian govt. ready to prosecute motorists damaging roads, bridges
The Federal Government has directed the attorneys-general of the 36 states of the federation to henceforth prosecute motorists that wilfully cause damage to federal roads and bridges, and ensure that offenders face legal sanctions.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), in a statement in Abuja, urged them to take over both pending and new cases of damages to roads, bridges and other public assets within their jurisdictions.
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Based on this, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has requested that Ogun State Attorney-General should take over the prosecution of a case of damage to flyover bridges on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Fashola however urged the state’s Attorney-General to take over the prosecution of the suit, saying that the seriousness of the case requires the commissioner to take over the suit as directed by the Federal Government.
A letter dated October 14, 2021, stated: “The case, Re-charge No. MIS/221/2021: Commissioner of Police vs Folarin Timitope ‘M’ 30 years, is that on March 12, 2021, one Folarin Temitope, while driving a trailer conveying an excavator, damaged three flyover bridges at Ogunmakin, Isara and Sapade.”
“Investigations by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) revealed that the excavator inflicted damage on the bridges due to its height which was above the clearance level allowed by the bridges and this led to the booking of the driver.
“Accordingly, the Federal Government is interested in ensuring that the matter is prosecuted diligently and professionally by the Ministry of Justice with counsel in the Ministry of Works and Housing holding a watching brief.”
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Fashola, therefore, called on the commissioner to liaise with the FRSC and the police prosecutor for further information about the case, “having regard to the seriousness of the offence and the implication of the damage occasioned by the negligence of the driver on the affected bridges.
