By Ihechi Enyinnaya
The Lagos State Government, through the state Environmental and Special Offences Unit, (Task Force), on Friday, crushed 2,200 seized motorcycles, popularly called okada, over violation of state traffic laws.
The crushing, which took place in the presence of the media at Task Force Ground, Alausa, Ikeja, was witnessed by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, and his Transportation counterpart, Dr. Fredric Oladeinde, among other top government functionaries.
The state government had put June 1 as deadline for okada to stay off certain areas in the state.
The areas are six local government and nine local council development areas, LCDAs, in Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland and Apapa.
The fresh Okada ban followed the February 2020 restriction placed on the activities of the commercial motorcycles.
The State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, placed the fresh order, against the backdrop of growing menace and nuisance constituted by commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada.
The governor, who spoke at at a meeting with Commissioner of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) at the State House in Alausa, said the directive affected all highways across six Local Government Areas (LGAs) and nine Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the new directive becomes from June 1, 2022, even as further directed security operatives to enforce the proscription order across the listed councils, adding that the affected councils are: Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Apapa.
“The total ban order extends to all LCDAs under the listed councils,” he further added.