...state mobile court arraigned, convicted 62,477 traffic offenders in one year
The property at Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, proposed by the Lagos State Government for the relocation of Igbosere High Court, will be ready by end of May, 2021.
Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, stated this on May 19 at the state’s Ministry of Justice's 2021 Ministerial Press Briefing tagged: ‘Our journey between April 2020 and April 2021’.
Onigbanjo explained that this and ongoing state-wide construction and renovation of courts is part of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s efforts to enhance access to justice.
The AG also revealed that the digitalisation of 10 of the state’s courts is ongoing, adding that six of the fully digitalised courts will be ready by October.
The facilities will provide “real-time transcripts solution services and fully-automated courts”, Onigbanjo said.
This, he noted, will complement the launch of an online platform for checking the status of legal advice and certified true copy of legal advice.
He disclosed further that there is also an ongoing upgrade of Ministry of Justice website and social media handles, as well as introduction of Case Management Systems within the MoJ to improve efficiency.
Onigbanjo highlighted the MoJ’s efforts to boost law enforcement agencies’ performance by building statement recording/interrogation rooms for the police to enhance prosecution of cases.
The Igbosere High Court, the country’s oldest and most recognisable judicial building, was attacked on October 22 by hoodlums under the guise of #EndSARS protest.
The criminals spent hours looting and vandalising vehicles, furniture, refrigerators, air conditioners, office equipment among others, before burning the entire court complex to the ground.
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In addition, the Commissioner said that the Mobile Courts in the state within a year, arrested, arraigned and convicted 62,477 traffic offenders.
He noted that during the period under review, 62,477 persons had faced the law over various traffic offences such as the use of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane, street trading, driving against traffic, willful obstruction as well as violation of the COVID-19 Regulations.
"The Mobile Courts sits on Saturdays at different locations across the state and deals largely with violators of COVID-19 Regulations," he said.
According to Onigbanjo, the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had also issued 954 Legal Advice during the time frame.
"The DPP is currently prosecuting 1,860 cases at the High Courts and Magistrate Courts including 10 offenders who have been so far charged over attacks on officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA).
"The Community Service Unit of the DPP during the review period (April 2020 - April 2021), also supervised 557 community service sentences.
"The community service sentences were for street trading, loitering, fighting and environmental offences," he said.
The Attorney-General noted that the Directorate of Civil Litigation had obtained 18 rulings and 34 judgments in favour of the Lagos State Government.
He said that the Directorate had helped the state government reduce contingent liabilities with suits worth N95 billion being dismissed by the courts.
Citing an example of such cases, Onigbanjo said the Federal High Court on February 3, 2021 in Olukoya Ogungbeje v Lagos State Government and 7 Others, affirmed the position of the state government restricting the the use of motorcycles and tricycles as a means of transportation on specific routes within the six Local Government Areas and nine Local Development Areas in the state.
