The Directorate of Road Traffic Services, DRTS, Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has commenced e-ticketing and central booking of traffic offenders in the territory.

Its Director, Dr. Abdullateef Bello, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the inauguration of the initiative designed to drive road traffic enforcement in the FCT.

The court also barred the directorate from stopping vehicles and imposing fines.

Acknowledging the development, Bello said that the directorate had appealed the court judgement.

He added that, in the meantime, the directorate had resorted to using technological devices to enforce traffic rules, which, he said, had legal backing.

He explained that the FCT Transportation Secretariat’s extant laws allowed DRTS to use devices to maintain safety on the roads across the territory.

Bello said that DRTS had acquired technological devices that would record traffic infractions and immediately issue electronic tickets to offenders within a few minutes.

He said that the new system, which would be efficient in tracking and penalizing road traffic offences, was designed to reduce physical interface between enforcement officers and motorists.

“Henceforth, all violators of traffic rules will now be booked electronically and expected to pay the fine within seven days.

“If they fail to pay the fine within the stipulated period, their vehicles will be impounded.

“DRTS will not be stopping vehicles at random. The devices will select those that are violating our traffic rules,” he said.

The director added that the enforcement officers had been trained on how to use the devices, adding that a simulation exercise had also been carried out for a real-time experience.

The Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency, BASEPA, has arrested four individuals for illegal tree felling in Nahuta village along the Darazo-Bauchi Federal Highway.

The incident reportedly occurred during a routine surveillance by the Director General of BASEPA, Mahmud Bose, aimed at enforcing the state’s ban on tree felling.

Narrating the incident on Monday, Bose said he encountered the offenders while driving along the road, adding that he approached them to inquire about their activities without disclosing his identity.

“I discreetly made a call away from the scene, requesting police backup from Darazo Division. I also informed the Chairman of Darazo LGA, who later joined us at the location,” Dr. Bose explained.

According to him, the gravity of their offense became evident to the suspects when the police arrived, leading to their arrest and subsequent detention.

The leader of the group, identified as Ibrahim Isa (not his real name) from Gombe State, confessed that he had purchased the tree from a land vendor in Nahuta village with the intention of converting it into timber for profit.

He acknowledged that tree felling is illegal and admitted it was his first time being apprehended.

At the time of this report, the suspects were in police custody as investigations continued.

Meanwhile, BASEPA has vowed to prosecute the offenders to serve as a deterrent to others engaging in illegal deforestation in the state.

The Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Sikas Agya, has designated High Court 9 as a family court to handle cases related to domestic and child welfare issues.

Justice Agya made the announcement on Monday during an advocacy visit by the first lady of the state, Mrs Agyin Kefas, to the state judiciary headquarters in Jalingo.

He stated that the newly designated court would have jurisdiction over various family-related matters, including, divorce, child abuse, neglect and juvenile delinquency.

According to the chief judge, the court’s primary objective is to protect the best interest of children in all cases brought before it.

He highlighted the alarming statistics on sexual abuse, noting that 30 percent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 in Nigeria have experienced some form of sexual violence.

Justice Agya emphasized that the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2014 which serves as the primary legislation on such matters, has been domesticated in the state to strengthen legal protection for victims.

He also outlined some of his recent judicial reforms, including the introduction of e-proceeding and e-filing, the establishment of a small claim court, and the renovation of court buildings and judges residence.

On her part, the first lady urged the judiciary to establish mechanisms for the speedy trial of offenders involved in sexual and gender based violence.

She also expressed concern over the rising cases of child rights violations and gender-based violence in the state and pledged her support in collaborating with the judiciary to tackle the issue.