After guiding journalists through the impounded vehicles at different offices in Abuja on Monday, Abdulateef Bello, the Director of the Department of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), announced that the vehicles would undergo rigorous verification for registration, roadworthiness, and other criteria.
Bello clarified that vehicles failing to meet minimum standards would be crushed.
Additionally, he mentioned that owners of some impounded vehicles would be taken to mobile court, where they would be required to pay penalties in accordance with the law.
“Some vehicles that are here, some of the owners will be made to face mobile courts, which will decide the kind of penalties to give them.
“But there are some that definitely will not go back to the road. We are going to invite the owners. We will ask them to pick whatever is valuable in the vehicles, and the vehicles will be crushed,” he said.
The director added that those arrested based on crimes committed in the guise of commercial operations would be handed over to the police for prosecution.
Mr Bello, however, explained that 130 vehicles were impounded in the last two weeks during evening raids.
According to him, most vehicles seized plied the city roads in the guise of commercial businesses when running the city to perpetrate crime.
“So, in the last two weeks under review, we have impounded over 130 vehicles, which we took you around to see.
“The idea is to ensure that we return the city to sanity, to remove all traces of insecurity, and then to ensure seamless traffic flow in the capital city,” he stated.
The director said the operations would continue until all substandard vehicles used for criminality were removed from the city.
Mr Bello also said that the DRTS had substantially reduced the level of criminality associated with “one chance” in the FCT.
He explained that in the last month, DRTS has been working to ensure that all taxi operators conduct their businesses in the parks, not on the road.
The director advised residents against patronising taxis and other vehicles outside the authorised parks.
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