Lamentations as police ban okada from Ikeja

It was lamentation galore in Ikeja area of Lagos, as the police began to effect the ban on okada riders from operating in Ikeja and its environs.Some of the commercial motorcyclists, popularly called okada riders, who spoke to Community News, said the decision was sudden, as there was no prior notice from the state government.'It took us by surprise. We were not informed: We came out last Wednesday like every other day only to see policemen stationed at various junctions pursuing us. Only God knows the number of motorcycles impounded by the police. We were caught unawares by the action of the police,' an okada operator said.Community News also gathered from the riders that the directive to ban them from the state capital might not be unconnected with the police resolve to curb the increase in cases of violent crimes, especially armed robbery. There have been serious agitations for ban on commercial motorcyclists from the state based on the allegation that most armed robbery cases in the state were being perpetrated by okada riders.An okada rider, Mr Lekan Adetoyese, told Community News that the ban on okada operations in Ikeja was due to an unconfirmed report that a man lost N10 million to an okada rider in Ikeja recently.'My brother, we are just suffering for no just cause. We gathered from some policemen that the order to ban okada operations in Ikeja area was from above. We were told that a big man was robbed by armed robbers who operated with okada. The victim informed the acting Inspector General of Police, hence the clampdown on our operations,' he said.The belief that the ban was from the police the high command was also corroborated by the fact that other state government owned law enforcement agencies like Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), were not part of the enforcement.Some of the tricycle operators who spoke to Community News, confirmed that things had improved for them since the order to ban okada operators came into force.Community News learnt from the operators that some people who hitherto abhorred three wheelers, now see them as alternative to okada.
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