A mobile court sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has convicted 34 motorists for attempting to bribe officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps during routine patrol operations.
The judgement was delivered on Wednesday by Magistrate Abigail Asuquo, who presided over the special session convened to fast-track the prosecution of traffic offences.
The accused persons, according to the court, all pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them.
Magistrate Asuquo, in her ruling, stated: “Each offender is hereby given the option of paying a fine of N10,000 or serving a one-week jail term. This aligns with the punishment stipulated for any attempt to compromise FRSC operatives on duty.”
In addition to bribery-related cases, the court also imposed fines on other traffic violators. Offenders caught driving without valid licences or overloading their vehicles were fined N10,000 each, while those who failed to wear seat belts or install speed limiting devices were fined N2,000 and N3,000 respectively.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the court session, the State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Innocent Etuk, expressed dissatisfaction with motorists who attempt to influence patrol teams unlawfully.
“We are taking a firm stance against corruption on the road. Any driver who tries to bribe our men will face the full wrath of the law,” he warned. “We must work together to ensure safety on our roads, and that begins with obeying traffic regulations.”
Etuk also reiterated the FRSC’s 2025 target of achieving at least a 10 percent reduction in road crash fatalities and injuries. He emphasized that compliance with traffic laws is crucial to achieving this goal.
He added, “This mobile court is not just a deterrent but a commitment to restoring order and discipline on our highways. Motorists must stop engaging in overloading, using mobile phones while driving, and attempting to corrupt our officers.”
The establishment of the mobile court followed a formal request by the FRSC to the Chief Judge of Cross River State, in accordance with Section 10(8) of the FRSC Establishment Act, 2007. The Chief Judge granted the request, paving the way for swift prosecution of traffic offenders.