Lagos State Government has begun the process of destroying 3, 000 motorcycles, widely known as Okadas impounded from Okada riders who violate the new traffic law.
The state Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit on Tuesday crushed the Okadas at the agency’s yard in Alausa.
Bayo Sulaiman, the Taskforce Chairman and Assistant Superintent of Police, said after the end of the crushing exercise, the iron parts would be taken to the state Crushing Plant in Oshodi, where they would be crushed and recycled.
He stressed that the action was to show that the government had stepped up its game to enforce the state new traffic law, adding that the crushing of the Okadas would serve as deterrent to other commercial motorcycle operators.
He continues by saying that, “These are Okadas impounded since the new traffic law was signed into law. There are 3, 000 of them. Okada riders must obey our traffic law.
They are fond of driving against traffic, on kerbs and several unauthorised places.
The law has been passed and gazetted and there is no going back on its enforcement.
“We are dismantling the Okadas now to separate the parts that are crushable from the ones that are not crushable. After this, we will take the crushable parts to Oshodi crushing plant, where they will be crushed and recycled. The non-crushable parts will probably be auctioned, but not in the state.
“The Taskforce has not started enforcing the law fully. But this should serve as a warning to them because we won’t hesitate to impound any okada caught on the restricted roads in the state.”
According to him, there were no riders to be prosecuted because the owners of the 3, 000 Okadas abandoned them on sighting law enforcement officials.
Meanwhile, on Monday some of the Okada riders protest to show their displeasure. Sulaiman said, “They have the right to protest, but the government will be firm in what it does. It does not in any way stop our job, those who intend not to obey the law, we are coming after them. The protest is a group action, but our arrests will be one after the other and we will be out there on a daily basis.”
The law has been passed and those who will not obey the law will be punished, he added.
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