Lockdown: Mobile court to begin confiscation of violators’ tricycles

Mobile courts set up to enforce compliance with lockdown regulations in Kano State will soon start confiscating commercial tricycles of convicted violators.

This was disclosed by the publicity officer of the courts, Baba Jibo Ibrahim, during the weekly update on the mobile courts’ activities in the state.

According to him, records have shown that, the tricycle operators were in the habit of violating the order and constituted the greater percentage of offenders.

“We have discovered that, most of the violators of the lockdown order are tricycle operators and, therefore, the mobile courts have resolved to use a provision that establishes them to, henceforth, confiscate the tricycle of any operator found guilty of violating the lockdown order. The courts have been subjecting the violators to payments of fine and community service sentencing but they failed to hinder,” he said.

The publicity officer said the courts had handled 2,228 cases of violations between May 28 and June 8.

Reacting to the threat of confiscation, a tricycle operator, Malam Mudi Hudu Oscar, told Chronicle that authorities should approach the enforcement with caution especially at this time when many families were trying to eke a living.

He alleged that those violating the lockdown order were doing that with the connivance of the security operatives.

“It is time for the authorities to look into the plight of the people of Kano. We are indeed in a serious economic situation and we need a human face approach to the lockdown issues. Confiscating tricycles is not the solution because most of those operating during the lockdown days were doing it with the connivance of the security operatives,” Oscar said.

Another operator, Musa Bello Kawo, said it was not fair for the court to confiscate violators’ tricycles judging from the circumstances surrounding their action.

“It is not fair, because many people are presently pressed by this lockdown order and why must the confiscation be of tricycle alone? There is a need to reconsider the situation at hand before implementing this,” he said.