You are lawless court tells MD KAROTA
By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
A Kano High court has cautioned the management of Kano Road Traffic Agency, KAROTA to desist reckless unconstitutional act of disrespecting court orders to avoid been penalized by the wrath of the law.
Justice Nasiru Saminu of Kano state High Court expressed strong resentment towards KAROTA, for disrespecting court orders , warning the Bappa DanAgundi’s led KAROTA to refrain from the path of constituting itself into a court of law.
The court vehemently denounce the act of arrest and execution of penalties on road users by KAROTA officers , stating that the act of fining road users by KAROTA personel without recourse to the court is wrong.
Justice Saminu delivering judgement in the case of Bello Basi & 8 others v KAROTA on Monday, has expressed worries over KAROTA’s notoriety for disregarding the laws .
Bello and his co-plaintiffs had dragged KAROTA before the court to confront the N2000 fine slammed against them for riding their private motorbike with their families and friends.
They kicked against KAROTA’s new revenue-driven order that every private motorbike owner who desires to ride with a passenger must first purchase a certain permit or be fined when caught without one.
Not been commercial motorbike riders, they said it was unconstitutional for KAROTA to subject them to such an illegal process before they can ride with their spouses or children. They therefore sought the order of the court to declare KAROTA’s act as unconstitutional and illegal.
The court granted the declaration they sought and asked KAROTA to desist henceforth from arresting private motorbike owners who ride with people they wished.
The court also declared for the umpteenth time that KAROTA lacks the powers combine the roles of an arresting, prosecuting as well as adjudicatory agents.
Justice Saminu had some harsh words for the legal advisers of KAROTA also, telling them that as ministers in the temple of justice, they must be seen to be upholding the sanctity of the law, and not be kowtowing to the whims and caprices of head the of the agency.
He ordered KAROTA to refund the fines it took from three of the plaintiffs who produced evidence of payment of fines and also pay them exemplary damages of N500, 000 each, in addition to N100, 000 as cost of prosecuting the case.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, A. K. Maude Minjibir, told NigerianSketch that there are pending judgements from the same court and the Federal High Court with similar orders which KAROTA has continued to ignore.
