By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
A special task team headed by the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, has secured the conviction and sentencing of 25 okada riders to jail without options of fine.
Speaking at an operations briefing session, the FCT minister, Bala Mohammed, said the team had prosecuted 41 offenders at various mobile courts, leading to the conviction of 25 motorcyclists.
He said while four of the offenders were discharged, other cases were ongoing in the courts.
Mr. Mohammed said 492 commercial sex workers, 128 miscreants and 17 mentally ill persons were also arrested by the team.
The arrests he said were followed with prosecutions in the environmental mobile courts.
He said the team complained that penalties for the offenders, ranging between N3, 000 to N5, 000, were light.
Warning residents on crossing highways, Mr. Mohammed said that those who boycotted the use of pedestrian bridges would face the wrath of the law.
He directed security agencies, especially the police and the Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO, to deploy personnel to enforce compliance with the usage of the pedestrian bridges in critical areas such as Areas 1 and 3, Garki, Kubwa, Lugbe and Dei-Dei.
Also speaking, Mr. Inalegwu said it became necessary for the police to assist the FCT Administration to realize its objectives in the clean-up and management of Abuja.
He also called for the review and strengthening of fines and penalties in the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, laws.
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