The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has dismissed allegations that its mobile court in Ubakala, Abia State, operates outside the law or imposes arbitrary fines on motorists.
The rebuttal follows a publication by human rights activist, Mr Okoye Chuka Peter of the Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS), who alleged that the Ubakala mobile court had become “a place where justice is missing but fines are not.”
In a statement signed by the Abia State Sector Public Education Officer, J.K. Igbonekwu, the Corps described the report as misleading and malicious. According to him, the claims were intended to dent the reputation of the FRSC and undermine the legal backing of its operations.
“The Mobile Court in Ubakala is not manned by the FRSC alone. It is a legally constituted body comprising a presiding magistrate duly assigned by the Abia State judiciary, a court clerk, prosecuting legal officers, FRSC marshals and officers, with the police providing orderliness,” the statement explained.
The Corps maintained that all proceedings follow due process. It stressed that offenders are duly informed of their charges, allowed to enter their plea and given the opportunity to be heard before any ruling is delivered.
FRSC further argued that the report, if left unchecked, could erode public trust and undermine the progress made in road safety enforcement across the country.
The agency added that it has video evidence, judicial records, attendance logs and other documentation to prove that its Ubakala mobile court has been operating within the ambit of the law.
