The Federal Road Safety Corps has warned drivers in the state to refrain from committing road traffic infractions, as they may face jail terms.
Sector commander Innocent Etuk gave the warning in Calabar on Monday during a mobile court proceeding to try drivers for various traffic infractions along the Calabar-Odukpani road.
Mr Etuk noted that upon assuming office, he made it clear that he was ready to send many drivers to jail unless they repented.
The court, presided over by a magistrate, Eno Iyamba, arraigned 49 traffic offenders, convicted 46, and discharged three.
A total of 114 offences were recorded, with driver’s licence violation, seatbelt use violation, and attempting to corrupt a marshal on duty as the most prevalent.
The sector commander stated that the exercise was FRSC’s strategic intervention to curb the excesses of the motoring public in terms of traffic infractions.
“Today is another mobile court sitting to fulfil our mandate to bring down road crashes. At least once or twice every month, we carry out these intervention patrols to achieve our mandate. It is sad that despite our advocacies through the media and others, traffic infractions are not abating.
’’Last month, many drivers were convicted for attempting to corrupt our men, and this month, it is still on the increase. In the month of September, we did not convict any driver for dangerous driving, but this month, we have already convicted one, and it took our synergy with sister agencies to get this done,” he said.
Mr Etuk noted that as the “ember” months unfolded, FRSC had identified flashpoints in the state where it normally encountered challenges.
According to him, the flash points are Odukpani Junction, Okurikang, Ikom Four Corner, and Ogoja towards Vandekia.
He said that the command planned to have a camp around Okurikang, which would be in effect until late at night to enable the Corps to reduce response time in the case of any emergency.
(NAN)