Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in recent information has announced a total ban of commercial motorcycle operators otherwise known as Okada riders in 6 local government areas in the state, says the new directive is a follow-up to February 2020 restriction earlier put in place.
This is coming barely 2 days after a task force in the state embarked on a serious clampdown of Okada riders on the Lekki axis.
The affected local government listed by the governor includes Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Apapa.
Sanwo-Olu, who said that the ban is indefinite and total, gave out the directive at a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Area Commanders, and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) at the State House in Alausa, Ikeja.
The new directive from the governor appears to be a follow-up to the February 2020 restriction placed on the activities of these commercial motorcyclists in these areas.
Sanwo-Olu said the state government took the decision in line with the State’s Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 to immediately address the chaos and menace created by the operations of Okada in the listed areas.
The governor told the police to enforce the order without compromise.
“After a critical review of our restriction on Okada activities in the first six Local Government Areas where we restricted them on February 1, 2020, we have seen that the menace has not abated. We are now directing a total ban on Okada activities across the highways and bridges within these six Local Government and their Local Council Development Areas, effective from June 1, 2022.
“This is a phased ban we are embarking on this period, and we expect that within the short while when this ban will be enforced, Okada riders in other places where their activities are yet to be banned can find something else to do. We have given the notice now and we expect all commercial motorcycles plying the routes in the listed councils and areas to vacate the highways before enforcement begins. The enforcement will be total.”
