The Lagos State Taskforce on environmental on Tuesday impounded 92 motorcycles popularly called Okada at Jakande Estate gate, Ejigbo and environs.
This was part of measures to rid the state of Okada as means of transportation in the state and plan by the government to replace it with mini buses procured by the state government.
In a Tweet by a special adviser to the state governor on new media, Jubril A. Gawat, he said there was resistance from the commercial motorcycle operators but they were subdued by the task force.
“The Lagos State Taskforce today impounded 92 motorcycles from Jakande gate, Ejigbo and environs this morning. “There were attacks on officers by the Okada Riders but they were neutralized and arrested without any casualty,” Gawat wrote in the Tweet.
On Monday, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu advised those who have taken up Okada riding for lack of job to embrace its scheme on wealth creation and poverty alleviation as the state moves to ban the use of Motorcycle as means of transport in the state.
Sanwo-Olu, who spoke at a Stakeholders’ Meeting on Security in Ikeja noted that “a decisive action would be taken on commercial motorcycles.”
The Governor said the string of lawlessness daily witnessed from the confrontation between commercial motorcyclists and law enforcement agencies required urgent action.
“We have noted with dismay the fact that Okada riders are disregarding and flouting the restrictions we imposed on their activities in certain areas of the metropolis.
“We have also observed with dismay, the ongoing violent confrontation by commercial motorcyclists against our law enforcement agencies.
“Based on all that we have seen and experienced in the past couple of weeks, as well as the increasing threat posed by the activities of commercial motorcycle operators to the safety and security of lives, we will be announcing further changes to the parameters of motorcycle and tricycle operations in the State in the coming days,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Source: Global Financial Digest