BY MAYOWA SAMUEL AND JACOB BRIGHT
The unspeakable menace which Okada operators now constitute to the public in Lagos State has been attributed to the sad experiences of security agents during the #EndSARS protest of last year that left many of them with enduring low morale.
Apart from that, the sheer impunity and recklessness being exhibited by the operators have combined to make enforcement of extant laws near impossible.
Speaking to The Point regarding the menace which Okada riders have now constituted in the state, the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Olusegun Ogungbemide, argued that it was not as if the Corps was not doing anything about the menace.
He insisted that the enforcement of the ban by the Lagos State government in some areas was like a battleground between the FRSC and the Okada riders.
He stated that, “virtually, not a day goes by without one form of violence or the other occurring in the cause of trying to realign Okada riders.”
Ogungbemide stated further that, “immediately after the EndSARS protests and due to the total breakdown of law and order as well as the attacks security agents endured, morale went so low, before we started picking up again.
“Notwithstanding, there was this level of impunity that increased, and Okada riders found their way back to those dedicated routes they were ordered not to operate on, which led to the series of confrontations that, unfortunately, resulted to the deaths of some security agents,” Ogungbemide added.
Proffering what he thought would bring a lasting solution to the menace; he advocated for the promulgation of legislation for the arrest and prosecution of passengers who patronise Okada riders that ply the highways and other restricted roads in the state, so that it becomes unattractive and therefore serves as a deterrent to others.
Although the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu and the chairman of the tax force, Shola Jejeloye didn’t respond to questions posed to them regarding the matter, Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Olumide Filade, decried the blatant and intentional flouting of the traffic laws in the state by the motorcyclists, even with enforcement agents present.
Filade added that although every law enforcement agent has issues enforcing the law which according to him is normal around the world, he however expressed government’s determination to discharge its duties without fear or intimidation.
He said, “It is a global phenomenon but that will not stop government from carrying out its assigned responsibilities. It is the law breakers that should beware. The Commissioner of Police said they will not be deterred. LASTMA and its officers will also not be deterred while being careful about our safety.”
Referring to the killing in Ajao Estate of Kazeem Abonde, the LASTMA chief wondered why members of the public are always on the side of offending motorcyclists whenever officials of the Agency attempt to enforce the Traffic Law, insisting that, “unless we all start to obey the law, there is no way there won’t be its enforcement as government came up with these laws for our own safety and security.”
He urged commuters to use pedestrian bridges, as doing so will translate to less accidents and road congestions which will force Okada riders to approach the bus tops to pick their passengers, as against doing so on the road disturbing other road users. Describing the illegal act as willful obstruction, he warned that its spiral effect on traffic can best be imagined.
He appealed to law abiding road users to always be security conscious, obey traffic management signs, respect and listen to officers put on the road to control traffic and not be in a hurry, thereby causing traffic that will further endanger the lives of people within the society.
On the part of the commercial motorcyclists, the unit chairman, Okada union, Baale bus stop, Egbeda, Lagos, Festus Idegbe, disowned those who robbed others using Okada or plied the highways, saying “they are not our members but criminals who use the highways because of their greed for more money.”
To curtail the menace, Idegbe told The Point that Okada men who violate any of the state laws should be arrested and charged to court.
He reiterated the need for proper documentation and urged Okada riders to get identification cards from the state chapters of their respective unions.
Residents of the state have been complaining of recent about the dangers posed by the Okada riders whose numbers continue to increase astronomically on a daily basis. The say the inability of the Lagos State government to enforce the ban on the operations of commercial motorcycles, on some roads in the state has continued to embolden criminal elements amongst the riders to perpetuate their nefarious activities against other road users, pedestrians and commuters, thereby constituting nuisance and worsening the spate of insecurity in the mega city.
The state government had in January 27, 2020 declared its resolved to “address the chaos and disorderliness created by illegal operations of Okada and tricycle riders in restricted areas,” as it prohibited their operations in six Local Government Areas, nine Local Council Development Areas, 10 major highways across the state and banned them from plying 40 bridges and flyovers across the State with effect on February 1, 2020.
Few of the attempts by designated security operatives to enforce the ban on these restricted roads had been met with violent clashes and sometimes resulting in untold stories.
Often than not, the Okada operators are defiant and relish breaking the law and are curiously shown sympathy by members of the public who often accuse security operatives of over-zealousness in the execution of their duties.
