Security: Lagos revisits commercial motorcycles' operation

The Lagos State Government on Monday expressed worry over operations of commercial motorcycles, popularly called okada, in the state, saying that they posed security challenge.The State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, at the inauguration of a reconstituted 32-member security committee, said okadas were emerging as ready tools to aid crime. He added that his administration would not tolerate crime in the state.The governor, who urged the committee to look at the scope of operation of the motorcyclists and report to the government within three weeks, lamented accidents and robbery cases, in which okadasfeatured prominently. He said the casess were alarming and unacceptable.He said, In the last two months, statistics of accident and robbery cases revealed that 2, 911 traffic violations, 79 robbery incidents and 1,250 accident cases were perpetrated on and by okada operators. 346 robbers were also nabbed on okadas. This trend is no more acceptable to the government.We have tried to accommodate and show understanding by asking them to regulate their operations in certain highways but clearly, we have not received the reciprocal cooperation from them.The governor called on the committee to examine the impact of okada business on security of lives and property in the state; look at what other states had done in managing the problem and recommend what the government could do to continue to protect lives and property.Among the members of the committee are its Chairman, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Olusegun Kazeem (retd) and DIG John Amodu (retd).
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