Lagos Arewa community embraces okada ban, says ‘foreign criminals’ disguising as riders

Lagos State Arewa Community (LASACOMM) has asked its members to obey the directive of the state government on the proscription of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada.

Last Wednesday, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, announced a ban on okada operations in six LGAs of the state, which is to take effect on June 1.

Local government areas affected by the ban include Ikeja, Surulere, Eti Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Apapa.

The directive was announced some days after some commercial motorcyclists lynched a sound engineer identified as David Imoh in the Lekki axis of the state.

Musa Saleh, secretary-general of the group, in a communiqué released after a meeting on Sunday, said foreigners from Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon have infiltrated genuine riders in Lagos.

The group called on security operatives to arrest foreigners who are masquerading as okada riders to perpetrate criminal activities in the state.

“We resolved today unanimously that all our members must comply with the provisions of the laws of Lagos state,” the communiqué reads

“We are law abiding and we will always continue to intimate all our members to continue to be law abiding and operate only within the ambits of the law.

“We support all measures taken by the Lagos State Government in its efforts towards protecting life and prosperities of all Lagosians.

“We condemn in totality the activities of all criminal elements who are mostly foreigners from Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon and other neighbouring countries who have infiltrated the ranks of those genuine riders and thereby perpetrating all forms of crime in Lagos state and are constituting serious threats to the lives and properties of Lagosians.

“We are calling on the security agencies to identify and arrest all those criminal elements masquerading as okada riders.

“We are also tasking the Nigeria Immigration Service to step up its actions along the borderlines in checking the influx of those foreign elements coming into the country without genuine intention.

“We are in total commitment and support to the administrative policies of the Lagos State Government getting rid of all security threats promoting peace and tranquility, safeguarding lives and properties of Lagos and the massive provision and development of infrastructures facilities for all Lagosians.

“We are calling on all well meaning Arewa community members to comply with our common resolve and avoid the local governments of Apapa, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Etiosa and Ikeja.”