The Lagos State Government on Friday has crushed yet another set of motorcycles popularly known as Okada that were seized following the ban on commercial motorcyclists in six local government areas of the state on June 1, 2022.
Recall that Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had in May announced a ban on okada operations in six Local Government Areas of the state and nine local council development areas.
According to the Chairman of Lagos State Task force, CSP Shola Jejeloye, the Agency though has been carrying out crushing of bikes in time past, the last of which was on 25th of May, 2022, the Agency would further intensify its effort in ensuring that all impounded Okada are crushed after following the due process of Traffic Laws as enshrined in Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.
The chairman stated that the laws are very clear for the Okada operators to see that their actions are in complete violation of the Transport reform laws of the State that “no 2 persons shall ride, drive or propel a motorcycle or the tricycle on a major Highway within the State, and any person in contravention of this provision commits an offence and will be prosecuted.”
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CSP Jejeloye added that the Agency’s efforts have been doubled since the June 1st ban, although compliance rate is very high and encouraging, but okada operators are not to be trusted.
Their style of operation is synonymous to guerilla warfare- when we retreat, they advance, and when we advance, they retreat, but enforcement on the ban has come to stay.
“We will ensure not a single offender operating his okada on the Highways will be spared. We will keep watch and continue patrolling the affected parts of the State to ensure they do not get back on our Roads.”
Jejeloye stated that in the past he had made series of appeals verbally and through the mass media on the dangers of Okada operations in the State, but the perpetrators remained hell bent on carrying on with their daredevil style of riding against traffic, speeding recklessly, damaging the vehicles of other road users, and endangering their lives, passengers, pedestrians and other road users.