Lagos State is unarguably the commercial and economic nerve centre of Nigeria. The state is home to top international and indigenous brands. International brands look to explore business opportunities in Lagos before considering other states in Nigeria. Some say Lagos is the life-blood of Nigeria’s economy. Little wonder then that the state is called the Centre of Excellence. For obvious reasons, the state has lived up to its name. You can point to some innovations in Lagos that have been replicated in other states. The state is also the most populous in Nigeria; it is estimated to have 17.5 million residents. Nigerians from diverse walks of life are found in the state and they are involved in all types of businesses (either legal or illegal), in order to survive and eke out a living. One of such means of livelihood is the okada transport business. There is hardly any area or neighbourhood or community in Lagos where okada riders are not seen. Okada is ubiquitous just like micro-organisms. From Ogba to Pen Cinema to Iyana Ipaja to Egbeda to Cele Ijesha or any of the five divisions of Lagos (Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe), you will surely see okada riders carrying passengers from one to two or more in number.
One interesting thing about the men who ride okada is that over 98 per cent of them are not indigenes of Lagos. A good number of them come from other states. For instance, in Allen Avenue, Obalende, Festac and Satellite Town, more than 95 per cent of the okada riders in these areas are Hausa, while in areas like Ogba, Ojodu Berger and Aguda/Oke-Ira, the okada riders are mostly Igbo/Calabar and a few Yoruba. Some schools of thought believe the ban on okada might increase the rate of crime in Lagos. However, those who hold this view are in the minority. What the majority of Lagosians want is an outright ban on okada in all the nooks and crannies of the state. The latter believe okada has done more harm to the safety of commuters than good. Lagosians moved from one part of the state to the other, before the gradual influx of okada riders into the state in the early 1990s. Anyone who is sincere with himself or herself and has used okada for transport and is still alive, would have sustained one form of injury or the other and will also attest to the fact that okada should be banned.
Recently, the Lagos State government declared a ban on okada and tricycle on the major roads. This development didn’t go well with many ‘Lagosians’ especially the operators. Expectedly, they protested and asked the government why they take away their means of livelihood, the same question was asked by commuters who had been depending solely on the tricycle and okada as a means of transport. some possible security reasons why the ban okada and tricycle in Lagos was effected examined and must be adopted in the entire South-West states.
First, there is a need to counter any form of terrorism. For close to 20 years, the North-Eastern part of Nigeria has experienced incessant attacks from terrorists and armed bandits. Millions of families have been displaced and lots of people have been made to experience the gruesome murder of their loved ones. In a bid to prevent attacks like these in Lagos, the ban of tricycle and motorcycle became a logical option; in states where bomb blast had been experienced, security reports have it that terrorists transport explosive devices with the aforementioned vehicles. Some media stations had reported the popular terrorism sect, Boko Haram, is already initiating plans to attack major locations in Lagos. It is only logical to tighten up internal security hence the ban; we hope this measure will go a long way to improve the already existing anti-terror measures. But first, security starts with you, if you see something strange in your neighbourhood say something!
Then, the ban will reduce the incidence of robbery and kidnapping. In a cosmopolitan state like Lagos, robbery is inevitable! If you live in Lagos, the best you can do is to put in place measures that will prevent a robbery on your property – by making sure your doors are locked and get a private security guard to secure your neighbourhood. Okada and tricycles have been used by criminals as their get-away vehicles. Criminals ride okada to snatch bags from pedestrians. In some residential estates, okada and tricycles have been banned while others have it partially banned where they are only permitted entry during the day and forbidden at night. This approach was adopted to reduce robbery and kidnapping incidence and assist security operative in catching up when they are in pursuit or car chase.
The ban will also reduce crime at night. Before the ban of okada and tricycle, many Lagosians had narrated several experiences of rape, kidnap and other forms of crime during the early and late hours of the day. Private car users have also had their stories to tell, they narrate how they were double-crossed and robbed. In a bid to reduce this, street lights were installed on major streets in Lagos, while the movement of okada was restricted, especially on the busy roads. Since the ban became effective, crimes at night have reduced because criminals no longer have the luxury of a get-away vehicle after committing a crime. Again, banning okada will ensure improved traffic security. Traffic congestion is a common phenomenon in Lagos. It can be caused by a broken-down vehicles or bad roads. Others say the indiscriminate parking of okada and rough driving of the tricycle operators have led to several road accidents. Due to the slow movement of vehicles, criminals use that opportunity to rob car users of their valuables, some break through door windows to rob and get on a moving okada to avoid being caught or arrested. In a bid to reduce the traffic congestion, the government moved on one of the highlighted causes which was to ban the okada and tricycle on roads known to be busier.
The ban is also to prevent road accidents. It will amaze you to know that criminals exploit accidents to steal from sympathizers rather than show empathy and assist in rescuing accident victims. When a vehicle accident occurs, for instance, a crowd gathers to see the extent of injury to victims and it is during this period that criminals exploit onlookers who had been distracted. Most of these accidents victims were people who had taken a bike. Asides educating bike riders on the need to observe traffic rules, the Lagos State government had to put in place a plan to solve two problems at the same time. First is the prevention of deaths and improved safety of okada riders and the second reason was to prevent robbery that would have ensued due to the gathering of the people or sympathizers at accident spots. Security is the bedrock of any development. If we in South-West are not putting plans in place to secure our lives and properties, then we are deceiving ourselves because one day, we might just find out our people’s lives and properties have been destroyed and the entire region turned to an insecure area.
- Oloko writes in via [email protected]
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