Lagos State Police Commissioner, Abiodun Alabi, on Thursday, clarified that residents who operate motorcycles for courier services or other private dealings will not be affected by the latest okada ban.
The state government had announced restrictions on motorcycles, popularly known as okada, from operating in six local government areas of the state. “It does not affect couriers, but the couriers will not carry passengers,” Alabi said during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. “We will have to make sure they are couriers and not pretending to be one.
“Then the other officers who are okada owners must be uniformed personnel who are going to their various places of work. “Those who own power-bikes are not affected, because it’s not meant for commercial purpose.”
Battling crime rate
The latest ban on okadas in the state comes after a sound engineer, David Imoh, was allegedly lynched to death by motorcycle riders in the Lekki area of the state over a fare dispute. This is not the first time the activities of okada riders have been restricted in Lagos.
Police Commissioner Alabi however said enforcement of the ban this time will be more thorough.
He said most okada riders are criminals and must be taken off the road. However, the police chief acknowledged that banning okadas may have its side effects.
“We know that banning the Okada riders can actually increase the crime rate. And we are not unmindful of that and we are already putting in place a lot of strategies to contend with it,” he said.
“We know that it will send a lot of them to unemployment. We are aware of that and are preparing for it.”
