Kwara govt moves to ban okada riders

Kwara State policecommand is on themove to stop the activities of commercial motor bike business, popularly called okada, in all parts of the state, following the incessant hacking of innocent people with cutlass and planks by men using unregistered okada to commit crime in the state.Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Monday, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Peter Gana, said the okada unions in the state had not been cooperating with the police on scheduled time of operation, which is meant to be between 6.00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m.The police boss, who said since business activities had not collapsed in many states where okada business was banned, business would not collapse in Kwara State when they eventually banned the activities of okada riders in the state.He said eight suspects, including a member of the proscribed OPC, had been arrested for being in possession of cutlass, machete, a bag containing charm, a wrap of Indian hemp and planks allegedly meant to commit the crime and had subsequently been charged to court.The police boss, who advised people not to walk alone in dark streets in the metropolis to avoid being attacked, added that the state government had promised to restore power to street lights to enhance security in the state.He said though the police were still investigating the motives behind the hacking, Peter declared that the motive was not robbery, as he also debunked the rumour being peddled that it was rituals by some politicians in the state.Gana also allayed fears among people, adding that the command was on top of the situation, as patrol had been intensified in identified areas in the state.He also said that the police command had arrested a gang of five Fulani herdsmen, who had allegedly been terrorising on the Ilorin/Jebba highway.He said members of the gang were arrested at a drinking spot at Obbo road, Ilorin, adding that five different types of GSM handsets allegedly stolen were recovered from them.
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