Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is sick and tired of the nuisance value of commercial motorbikes (popularly called Okada in local parlance) across the city he governs.
So he’d do one thing and one thing only this weekend: Watch and grin as all seized Okadas are crushed by personnel of relevant authorities.
“Law enforcement agencies seized many motorcycles today. They will all be crushed on Friday in the presence of the media,” a statement from Lagos Commissioner of Information, Gbenga Omotosho, reads.
Omotosho adds that the Lagos State Government is impressed by the near total compliance of the ban in the six local governments.
“The Lagos State Government wishes to put on record the remarkable cooperation of Lagosians on the commercial motorcycle ban, which took effect today in six local governments.
“The compliance was significant in Surulere, Apapa, Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Ikeja. It is the first phase of the ban, which was announced on May 18 by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, following security and safety concerns.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu assures Lagos residents and visitors that his administration will not leave them to their own devices; it will continue to work towards the achievement of an efficient intermodal transportation system (water, rail and road) that will be the pride of all.
“Lagos residents stayed off the motorcycles, also known as “Okada”, as the government rolled out alternatives to cushion likely effects of the ban in many areas,” Omotosho adds.
The trouble with Okada
Governor Sanwo-Olu effected a fresh ban on the operations of commercial motorcycles on June 1, 2022, two years after he first announced a similar ban.
The first ban on the governor’s watch was not totally adhered to and enforcement was sporadic and weak.
Okada riders flouted the first ban and continued to ply major routes and highways in densely populated and chaotic Lagos, breaking all known traffic laws as they wove past at break-neck speed.
In recent times, Okada riders have been accused of beating up and setting a sound engineer on fire in Lekki, one of the city’s calmer and highbrow neighbourhoods.
That piece of jungle justice led to police personnel clamping down on and seizing more ubiquitous commercial motorbikes in Lekki and other Lagos suburbs.
Under the new ban, riders and passengers alike will be arrested and charged.