Court reserves judgment on new number plates

    
A Federal High Court Lagos, on Monday reserved judgment in a suit asking the court to restrain the Federal Road Safety Commission from carrying out its threat to impound vehicles without the new number plates.

The plaintiff, Mr. Emma Ofoegbu, had filed the suit on September 30, 2013, asking the court to declare the threat by the FRSC was illegal and unconstitutional.

Justice James Tsoho reserved judgment on Monday after lawyers for the parties adopted their written submissions in the suit.

Mr. Ogedi Ogu adopted the plaintiff’s written address while Mr. Vincent Ogunmola did same for the respondent (the FRSC) at the Monday’s proceedings.

Tsoho said the date for judgment would be communicated to the parties through hearing notices.

The plaintiff contended that the threat by the FRSC, which gave  October 1 deadline for all vehicle owners to acquire the new number plate, was a gross violation of the provisions of 36 (12) of the constitution which guaranteed the rights of individuals.

He maintained that the threat by the FRSC was illegal since the amended National Road Traffic Regulations (2012) should not affect everything that was done based on the revoked  NRTR (2004), under which the old number plates were issued.

According to the plaintiff, Regulation 230(2) of the National Road Traffic Regulations (2012) states that the revocation of NRTR (2004) “shall” not affect anything done, or purported to be done pursuant to that Regulation.