Northern elders at the weekend reacted differently to the news of a truck intercepted in Lagos by men of the State Task Force on Sanitation.
The truck was on Friday intercepted with 48 motorcycles and 123 men coming from Jigawa State.
Chairman of Lagos State Task Force, Mr Yinka Egbeyemi, in a statement said the trailer was accosted in the wee hours of Friday, after a security alert from members of the public. He said his team swiftly responded to the information, which led to the seizure of the truck and its occupants at Agege area of the state.
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One of the occupants, Shuaibu Haruna, who was being held by the Lagos State Police Command with his co-travellers, said he left Jigawa State to work in Lagos with his motorcycle. He claimed to have a wife and a son, but said he needed to double his income to cater for his family.
The duo of Alhaji Tanko Yakassai and former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, have however, expressed varied reactions on the probable mission of occupants of the intercepted truck.
While Alhaji Yakassai said that migration was normal since it was within the country, Alhaji Musa said the movement of that huge number of young men with 48 bikes was suspect.
Alhaji Yakassai described the concern as media hype as he noted that southerners also come to the North to seek for greener pasture.
“The security agencies should investigate but I think it is a normal thing if they weren’t carrying arms. If people are suspicious, they should report them to the police.
“It is normal for people to move from North to South; people do move from Lagos to Port Harcourt or Enugu… I mean, it is the same country, as long as they don’t do things that are objectionable.
“It is normal. Any suspicious activity should be reported to the police. The media should not hype this by raising unnecessary alarm. That will help the country to live in peace,” he said.
He, however, blamed the drift on lack of purposeful government.
“Let me tell you the problem in this country. Right from the return to civilian rule till date, there is no Federal Government that has initiated a serious programme to address poverty.
“Poverty in Nigeria is brought about by unemployment. If the government doesn’t address the problem of job creation, promote agriculture and industry, all these poverty and unemployment will persist.
“But to address these two issues, you must, one, engage or present a good plan at state and local government to develop agriculture to create job opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
“Secondly, if the government will address the issue of power, I can tell you that the power in Kano last year was better. I don’t enjoy it now. It is deteriorating by the day. You need to get power for about 16 hours, but today I only get it when I am sleeping. We need power to stimulate employment opportunities.
“But people get to power in Nigeria without planning, just for their personal interest. There must be synergy between the Federal Government, the states and local councils, with each looking at areas it can tackle within its available resources.”
Former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, however, disagreed that those intercepted were merely fortune seekers, desperate for an environment where they could earn a living. He said their motive could be to infiltrate major cities, instigate crises and ultimately destabilise the polity.
“No, the situation is more than that. The first thing is that those responsible should find out the truth about the development. How can 123 people leave a place with 48 bikes in a truck? How can they come with so many motorcycles? In a single truck? These are invading forces! Their intention could be to create social instability in the country. And they can do this in Lagos, Kaduna, anywhere.
“So, the situation is more than what people think or will say. How did they acquire the bikes? 123 people? What is the correlation between the so-called unemployed people and so many motorcycles?
“The security agencies should investigate and tell us the truth. They might be an invading force. Maybe they have been paid to infiltrate major cities and create instability in the country. It can happen in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and so on. We shouldn’t be deceived,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Police Command in Lagos State has released the 123 passengers intercepted along Moshalashi Road, Agege while coming from Jigawa State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, in an earlier statement said that a truck with registration number JIGAWA HJA-680-XA, conveying the passengers and motorcycles was on Friday, intercepted and searched.
He said that the vehicle and passengers were searched but nothing incriminating was found.
“They were profiled with a view to ascertaining who they were, where they came from, their background and their mission in Lagos.
“They all came from Jigawa State, North-West Region of Nigeria and are mostly artisans, commercial motorcyclists and traders.
“Some of them are already based in Lagos with their families while others are coming for the first time. They are in the state in pursuit of greener pasture,” Elkana said.
He said that the police were satisfied with their legitimate mission in the state and allowed them to proceed to their various destinations.
Elkana said that the Lagos Police Command would not relent in its efforts to protect the lives and properties of the people of Lagos State.
In a statement, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, affirmed the state government’s commitment to the security and well-being of law-abiding residents of the state, noting that the mass movement of the arrested suspects with large quantities of used motorcycles aroused the suspicion of Lagosians who duly alerted men of the state task force.
Mr. Omotoso further said that Lagos is haven for law-abiding residents, and foreigners with legitimate intentions.
He allayed the fears expressed, especially on the social media that the arrests were directed at a particular section of the country, stressing that this is the handiwork of mischief-makers.
“It must be emphasised that the checks and arrest made by men of the Lagos State Task Force was a proactive step against speculated cases of Boko-haram insurgency and banditry attacks across the nation.
“The case on hand is purely a security matter which the Lagos Police Command is capable of handling professionally.
“The administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has clearly stated that Lagos is home for all and will continue to make it, the most preffered destination in the world,” the statement said.