By Chimaobi Nwaiwu
Nnewi—Over 104 road traffic offenders were, yesterday in Anambra State, convicted by the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, mobile court.

This came as over 250 motorists were enlightened during a special inter-state patrol and enlightenment exercise within Ozubulu-Okaji-Ihiala-Mgbidi-Njaba axis of Onitsha-Owerri road.

The traffic offenders, mostly commercial bus drivers plying routes between Anambra and Imo states, were convicted for offences ranging from use of worn-out tyres, driving without seat belts, non- availability of caution signs, overloading, lack of passengers’ manifest to lack of fire extinguisher, among other offences.

Addressing the press on the exercise, FRSC Sector Commander in Imo State, Mr. Yusuff Kolawole, said the inter-state patrol involved officers and men from Ihiala unit command in Anambra and Njaba unit command in Imo State.

He said: “The exercise was to enlighten the motorists against negligence, lack of lane discipline and over-speeding, especially as the Yuletide approaches, which would bring a lot of traffic to Onitsha-Owerri road corridor.

“The importance of this activity is the fact that we have already entered the Ember months and people have a wrong belief that when the Ember months come people must die.

“They believe that maybe there is a demon on the road that is killing people. Bt we in road safety business and its establishment believe that there is no demon or blood-sucking demon on the road, killing the people.

“It is just negligence of traffic rules, carelessness and recklessness of the road users.

“The problem is that in Ember months there is an increase in vehicular and human traffic on the road.”