Anxiety over increased cases of Okada theft in Aboru

RESIDENTS of Aboru in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State have expressed concern over the growing incidence of commercial motorcycle theft in the area, noting that these developments had turned the place into a dark spot of late.

Some residents who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune stated that quite a sizeable number of commercial motorcycles had either been snatched or picked from where they were parked in the area in the past few weeks.

A victim, Kolawole Habib, an electrician, told Tribune Online that his motorcycle was picked from where it was parked on Olorunto Street, in Oke-Odo, Aboru.

“I decided to sleep in the shop on the Friday proceeding the environmental sanitation day last month (February).  And what I did was to park my bike, as usual in front of my shop and go to sleep. I never suspected anything until the next morning when I couldn’t find the bike where it was parked,” he lamented.

According to him, he had since lodged the report at relevant quarters, but was yet to find the motorcycle.

Another resident, Jimoh, a mechanic, who resides around Baba Jesha area of the community told Nigerian Tribune that the incidence of motorcycle theft had become rampant in the area, adding that this had driven fear into motorcyclists, especially those who use theirs for commercial purposes.

According to him, about three cases of such theft were recorded within two weeks in the area in February.

Confirming the development, a community leader, who would not want his name in print, attributed the development to the road reconstruction currently ongoing in the area.

“The community is being opened up now. The roads are being tarred. And there is a lot of get-away routes now. That, I believe, is one of the reasons the incidents have suddenly assumed a dangerous dimension,” the community leader stated.

He, however, advised on the need for every resident of the community to be more vigilant by ensuring that strange movements in the area are reported to relevant authorities in the community.