Crusaderhotnews
...personal experience of Leftist Osazee Edigin
Today at about 3:30pm, I was driving from down Sapele road towards Ring road. Upon getting close to the roundabout at Murtala Mohammed Way junction, just after Market Square departmental stores, I met a long queue of vehicles due to the traffic lights at the round about. I move as the queue move accordingly.
A closer approach to the traffic light reveals that, the green count-down number displays less than half of the image of the numbers and faint in appearance. Even though it was still showing the green coloured faint count-down numbers, I passed through, only for some officers of the Motor Traffic Division (MTD) of the Nigeria Police Force and EDSTMA jumping out from the roundabout and blocking about five vehicles accusing us of running the light.
They let three to leave and holding just two of us. In my calmness I simply asked them, what is the issue. The EDSTMA personnel response was that I disobeyed the traffic light. I asked him, can I see the evidence because I am aware you usually do recordings of such against alleged offenders. He responded that, when we get to court, I can say that. I also reminded him that the said traffic light has display malfunction which he couldn't respond to. Both myself and the other man was in shock hearing from them that we disobeyed the traffic light.
Well, they shared myself and the other man between themselves. I was taken by a traffic police officer while the other man was taken by EDSTMA personnel. An action that looks like a sharing formula among them there.
The traffic police officer took me to MTD office along Sapele road while the EDSTMA personnel took the other man to their office as well.
On arrival at the MTD police, I was asked to write a statement. I gladly requested for the statement paper thereafter I put a call across to my lawyer as provided by the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Edo state. I simply stated all that transpired and I sent message to my comrades through our established communication channels to help me visit where the said traffic light is and do a video recording as my evidence since the police don't have their own evidence to be used in court.
While still at the station engaging the officers, an officer agreed that the green display of the traffic light is faulty, that it is not their responsibility to fix it, I responded immediately that, it is not your responsibility to fix it but it is your duty to use same to apprehend alleged violators.
While I was doing all that, my lawyer arrived and incidentally, a former NBA chairman was within same premises and both of them saw me and introduced me to the police officers to know who they have with them and began to sue for peace as they considered the issue as inconsequential to burn energy for.
I had already written a two page statement suitable for a court case to challenge their supposed oppression and intended extortion tendency on me. However, I had to let all that slide due to the presence of two erudite legal brains that thought all that are not necessary. We have had a court case with same MTD where they took an alleged traffic offender to court with a law that doesn't exist leading to the suspect be discharged and acquitted.
This get to show what Edo people are going through in the hands of these traffic officers and EDSTMA personnel who formulate all manner of traffic allegations on motorists just to extort them. If there is one person that obeys traffic lights, I am that one person. At times I look like a moron waiting for a traffic light to clear me while other vehicles take my sides and they zoom past me.
We must put a stop to what is happening at that Sapele roadround about and ensure Edo people are not turned into ATM in the name of traffic enforcement. He that must come to equity must do so with clean hands. It is time to fish out those perpetuating these wicked operations and show them the way out.
Leftist Osazee Edigin AICMC
Coordinator, Action for Socio-political and Economic Change ((ASEC) and a two time Public Relations Officer of Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO)
0 Comments