Okada Ban: Lagos Task Force Impounds 200 Motorcycles In Ojo

Lagos Task Force impounded 200 motorcycles in the Ojo area of the state on Thursday.

Gatekeepers News reports that there were claims that many of the okada riders initially resisted the task force operatives from effecting the ban.

Reports, however, revealed that while attempting to resist the task force’s arrest, some of the motorcyclists and their passengers got injured.

An eyewitness said, “Everywhere suddenly became rowdy. We just saw the okada riders making a U-turn and speeding. We thought there was a riot and everyone started running helter-skelter. We later found out that it’s the Lagos task force that came to arrest the Okada riders.”

In reaction to this, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that there was no violence in the area, adding that there was no fatality.

Hundeyin stated that the reports that there was a clash in the area are false and should be discarded.

He said, “There was no violence in the area. Also, there was no Okada riders clash. What happened is that the police and other members of the joint task force went to impound motorcycles. During the enforcement exercise, about 200 motorcycles were impounded.

“We urge residents to be law-abiding. The impounded motorcycles would be destroyed.”

This is coming hours after the State Government imposed a fresh ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, to curtail the unruly activities of motorcyclists in the state.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who gave the directive on Wednesday, during a meeting with the state Commissioner of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers at the State House, Ikeja said the ban will take effect from June 1.

The affected councils are Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Apapa, and the total ban order extends to all LCDAs under the listed councils.