Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has signed an Executive Order restricting the movement of heavy-duty vehicles in Niger State from 6 am to 10 pm.
According to the order, any person who drives a tanker or other heavy-duty vehicles, abandons or fails to remove the said vehicle within reasonable time and thus obstruct normal flow of traffic, shall be deemed to have committed an offence and shall be arrested and made to serve a term of not less than six months imprisonment and a fine of N500,000.
The Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Barrister Adamu Panti Mohammed, who disclosed this to newsmen in Minna, said this is part of the government’s efforts towards rehabilitating the bad roads across the state.
He announced that the Executive Order known as Trailers, Tankers and other Heavy motor vehicles Order No.2, 2019, has since come into effect.
He said the new order has repealed the old one and would restrict the movement of heavy-duty vehicles and trucks to the hours of 10 pm to 6 am daily, adding that no trailer, tanker or any other vehicle loaded with inflammable and combustible products is allowed to park within residential areas.
He stressed that failure to abide by the new order will attract punishment, as the order has some penal provisions to be applied to those who flout it.
“If the relevant state agencies have to tow away the vehicle, the owner shall pay and defray all towing expenses; and for each day that the vehicle remains unclaimed, he shall pay demurrage of N50, 000; and if unclaimed for 30 days, the said vehicle will be forfeited to the government.
“Any person who harasses, threatens, insults, intimidates, obstructs, assaults, batters or disobeys any officer of the state or a security personnel in the course of enforcing this order, has committed an offence and shall, upon conviction, be liable to a term of imprisonment of not less than six months and a fine of N500,000,” he added.
He said a Magistrate Court of any grade shall have the power to summarily try the offenses.
