Policeman arresting an okada rider
By Salisu Sani-Idris
The Special Ministerial Task Force on Transportation and other Public Nuisances says it will start prosecuting commercial motorcycle operators known as Okada and their patronisers in two days from now.
Field Coordinator of the task force, Mr Peter Olumuji, made the disclosure during an inspection exercise on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the task force is headed by the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mr Bala Ciroma.
Olumuji said anyone who patronises the Okada riders would be seen to be aiding and abetting illegality.
He stated that both operators and patronisers assumed to be guilty and liable to prosecution accordingly.
Olumuji explained that residents of Kubwa had been complaining seriously about the recklessness of the riders in the area.
He alleged that most of the Okada riders always go about with knives and at any little provocation, they stab the other person involved, apart from committing other crimes.
We are here to ensure that they are removed from Kubwa as it were, before the EndSARS protest.
They have designated places far away from the city centre where they are allowed to operate, Keke Napep was brought in from town and they have been operating without hitch or constituting nuisances to the community, he said.
Olumuji said that the FCT administration had decided to start the show of force on the first day of December to sensitise the Okada riders and their patronisers on the need to stay off Kubwa.
The Area Commandant, Nigeria Police, Kubwa, ACP Sani Omilori, said before the EndSARS protest, Okada riders had left Kubwa as directed by the FCTA, but after the protest, they came back in full force.
This was why we came out on this show of force for two days to inform them to stay off Kubwa roads as the ban on Okada is still on and by Thursday we start full enforcement.
An alternative means of transportation has been provided for the residents (Keke Napep). We are sensitising the operators as well the patronisers before the enforcement, he said.
Mrs Osho Deborah, Zonal Commandant Zone 1, Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), said after the two days they would embark on full enforcement and anyone caught would be prosecuted. (NAN)
Source: NAN News