Traffic Law: Fashola Arrests Police Officer Riding Okada

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola yesterday arrested a police officer, identified as Ebahan Johnson, who violated the new traffic law by riding his 100 CC commercial motorcycle popularly called Okada on the Agege Motor Road, Ikeja.

The governor accosted the police officer on the expressway during an inspection tour of ongoing projects in the Lagos-West Senatorial District of the state, while riding a red Bajaj motorcycle.

The officer who resisted arrest earlier, succumbed when he realised that he was accosted by the governor, who had warned that Okada should not ply the express road with a motorcycle with such capacity and without helmet. Fashola on the arrest said: “There is no one that is above the law. If anyone cannot submit itself to the law of the state, then that person should please leave the state.” He warned that the state government would not condone violation of the road traffic law of the state, which was signed into law to bring sanity back to road transportation.

He said: “There is no society where laws are not broken, but the state government will increase its enforcement for residents to comply with. And as we move on the road and we see any one violating the law, we will stop and arrest them.” On the officer, the governor stated that the officer would be handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Umar Mankko for proper prosecution.

“I am sure he would be prosecuted,” Fashola stated. Meanwhile, hundreds of traders of Katangowa, Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, (LCDA),urged the state government to halt its plan to relocate the market for the construction of the new Lagos State Digital Village presently located in Ikeja Area of Lagos.

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Police versus motorcyclists’ war claims first casualty

 A commercial motorcyclist, whose name was given as Alagede, has been confirmed dead during a scuffle between police officers and motorcyclists in Alakoku, near the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Lagos State, on Tuesday.

While some witnesses say the deceased was shot by a police officer when he resisted arrest, others claim the motorcyclist was crushed by a vehicle as he attempted to escape police arrest.

Commercial motorcyclists and security officials have been on the warpath since Monday when the state government began enforcement of its ban on motorcyclists plying 475 designated routes in the metropolis. 

As at Tuesday, an estimated 3000 motorcycles have been seized and impounded at the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit).Following the death of Alagede, residents of the area and other commercial motorcyclists stormed the Alakuko Police Station, threatening to burn it down. Scores of anti-riot police officers have been deployed to the scene.

Efforts to contact Ngozi Braide, the Lagos police spokesperson, were unsuccessful as at the time of publishing this story as calls and text messages sent to her mobile phone went unanswered.
More to follow…

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Okada Riders Protest Lagos Traffic Law, Vandalize 10 BRT Buses

 Not less than 10 Bus Rapid Transport, BRT, vehicles were yesterday vandalized by protesting commercial motorcycle operators at Onipanu, along Ikorodu Road as they protest the enforcement of the Lagos Road Traffic Law.

The Lagos State House of Assembly expressed concern over increasing lawlessness of commercial operators in the state following the violent protest, and threatened to outrightly ban their activities if they refused to conform to the Traffic Law.

The violent protest which yesterday caused pandemonium and left many commuters stranded at various bus stops on the busy road and adjoining ones may not be unconnected to the aggressive enforcement of the Traffic Law in accordance with the order of the state Commissioner of Police.

The protest also had its toll on traffic as heavy traffic was witnessed along Ikorodu Road and others.

The Police Commissioner had earlier issued a marching order to Divisional Police Officers, DPOs, in the state to mobilize their men for enforcement of the Road Traffic Law due to the disobedience of the Okada riders. Several motorcycles were impounded in the process.

Due to this development, the entire Awolowo Road up to Secretariat, Aluasa, was deserted by the motorcycle operators.

The angry and aggrieved Okada operators were reported to have stormed the dedicated BRT Bus Stop as early as 9:00a.m, denouncing the enforcement of the law on 475 roads in the state, indiscriminate arrests and alleged extortion by men of the Nigeria police and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority. .The protesters were said to have pelted every BRT vehicle they came across at Onipanu with stones and other dangerous weapons without considering the safety of over 50 passengers onboard. 

The new Lagos Road Traffic Law which among other things prohibits the operation of commercial motorcycles on 475 Lagos roads was signed into law by Governor Babatunde Fashola on August 3.

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I have lost two motorcycles to govt already

Stakeholders in the commercial motorcycle operation in Lagos have continued to lament the decision of the government to crush 30, 000 impounded motorcycles that violated the new road traffic law, saying “the action is a threat to the high level of security Lagos enjoyed over the years”.

The decision which came barely 24 hours after the hundreds of commercial motorcycles operators popularly called Okada riders under the aegis of the United Okada Riders Stakeholders’ Forum, stormed Alausa to protest over schedule two of the new law which banned them from plying 475 roads and bridges.

Crushed motorbikes

They spoke to Vanguard with a lot of venom saying the law was draconian and crushing of the Okada would further impoverish families in the state.

Mr. Nwana Boni, a commercial motor cyclist said “Since the state government commenced enforcement of the new Lagos road traffic law, I have lost two motorcycles to the state government.”

Boni added “This is the third motorcycle.

“Due to the economic situation of the country, I had no option than to beg a friend who bought Keke NAPEP to sell his used Okada to me at a giveaway price.”

He explained that after the “second motorcycle was impounded, I had no option than to lobby my friend to sell his motorcycle to me because I had accrued bills to pay; ranging from school fees, house rent and family members to feed.”

According to him, “Arresting and crushing our motorcycles will further increase the rate of crime in the state. The low crime rate being enjoyed in Lagos over the years was as a result of the high number of unemployed in the state who have embraced the Okada business.”

Another operator whose two motorcycles were impounded and crushed, Mr. Micheal Egwu said that after he lost the second okada, he had to get another motorcycle at hired purchase term.

“This was the cause of insecurity in the nation’s capital. If Okada riders were not banned from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the level of security would not have deteriorated as much,” he said.

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