Wednesday 25 July 2012

BRT lane: Colonel, sergeant to pay N25,000 fine each

The General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, has said Colonel K.I Yusuf and Staff Sergeant Adeomi, who were accosted by Governor Babatunde Fashola for taking the designated Bus Rapid Transit lane on July 17, 2012, will pay the mandatory fine.

The fine for taking BRT lane is N25, 000.

This is just as the Nigerian Army began the court martial of 11 soldiers for various offences in Lagos on Tuesday.

Minimah said at a press briefing that the Nigerian Army was not above the law.

“They passed the BRT lane and it’s a traffic offence and they’ll pay the fine. The fact that he has apologised to the governor does not mean that he won’t face the law. He will pay the fine,” he said.
The GOC seized the opportunity to warn all army personnel to obey the laws of the state and avoid taking the BTR lane.

He said, “They (army personnel) should avoid the BRT lane because they are designated for the BRT buses which are for the good of Lagosians. We all reside in Lagos and we have the responsibility of obeying the laws of the state. If we get it right, it’s for our common good and if we get it wrong, it’s bad for all of us.

“The law was made for Lagosians and we are part of Lagos and the Nigerian Army and the military as a whole are law-abiding and enforcers of the laws, not outlaws. We’ll conform to the laws and obey the law and also aid civil authority in enforcing the laws and we’ll continue to help the state government in this regard.”

Meanwhile, the president of the court martial, Brigadier- General Edward Nze, said the crimes the army personnel were being tried for ranged from alleged murder to financial misappropriation.

Nze said court martial was an instrument used by the Nigerian Army to instil discipline in its men.

“The offences we are handling presently range from murder to misappropriation of funds to being absent without leave. They’ll be charged according to the Armed Forces Act,” he said.
Culled:247nigerianewsupdate/ Punchnigeria

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