Lagos Police Commissioner Lists Ways To Enforce Okada Ban

The Lagos Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, has revealed ways the state command would enforce the ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles in the state.

On Wednesday, the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the ban on the operation of  ‘Okada’ in six Local Government Areas of the state.

The governor said the ban takes effect from June 1, 2022, and all the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) under the six local councils would also be affected.

Sanwo-Olu listed the six affected local councils as Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Apapa.

During an appearance on Channels TV on Thursday, CP Alabi said the command has devised ways to ensure that the Okada ban is totally enforced.

Alabi said one of the ways to ensure total compliance is that violators of the ban will be charged to mobile courts after arrest.

The commissioner added that seized motorcycles will not be released to the violators, adding that such okada will be confiscated.

He disclosed that plans have been made for the creation of mobile courts to prosecute both riders and passengers of seized motorcycles.

“Over time, people have been enforcing it but they didn’t do it in a holistic manner. We are going to look into the intensity of the enforcement and also change our strategies and tactics. We will ensure that this law is enforced to the latter,” he said.

The commissioner also described most of the Okada riders are criminals, stressing that the command has arrested most of them for arm robbery and kidnapping.

He, however, said the Okada ban may lead to an increase in crime and criminality in the state, adding that the police are ready to address the menace.

He said: “We are anticipating a spike in crime. We know that banning Okada will increase the crime rate in the state, and we are not unmindful of that. We are already putting in place strategies to contend with them. We are prepared for that.

“The police have the capacity. And it’s not going to be the police alone that will handle this, there is going to be inter-agency collaboration. We are going to work in synergy to enforce this directive to the letter.

“Most of the Okada riders are criminals. We have arrested a lot of them with locally-made pistols in the course of their operations. And most of them have been charged to court.

“Most of them are using Okada as a kind of disguise and that’s why we have been having discussions with their unions. The best way out is to flush them out of our society. Most of them are masquerading as criminals.”