Dispatch riders: The new menace on Lagos roads

•We are proactive —LASTMA •We are studying the situation —Brand owner

ONE would have expected some measure of decency and order in the way they operate, since they serve as couriers for both established and relatively unknown brands and handle sensitive and highly important items. So, their conduct should be different from that of the regular commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, which had terrorised the metropolis for years, many had thought.

Unfortunately, Lagosians are singing a different tune regarding the conduct of dispatch riders in Lagos. They argue that instead of exhibiting some level of professionalism, especially regarding their conduct on Lagos roads, they are gradually becoming the new menace on the ever-busy roads.

Before now, drivers and road users in Lagos State had complained about the aggressive tendencies and menacing activities of commercial bike riders, especially those from a particular part of the country. Have any issues with them, and you may not be alive to relive the experience. They attacked even security personnel attempting to enforce the rules on some major highways in the state.

Many policemen, including a very senior officer who was about retiring from the force, had in the past been killed by aggressive commercial motorcyclists who took the law into their hands and became excessively violent.

Interestingly, at a time when the state government had started beating its chest that near-total sanity had been restored, especially with traffic rules restricting commercial motorcyclists from plying some parts of the city, dispatch riders now seem to be the new menace on the roads.

They are increasingly becoming reckless and aggressive. The fact that fatalities are being recorded almost weekly in recent times has not checked these excesses or deterred them from constituting huge traffic and security risks to the communities where they operate.

For instance, recent findings revealed that some of them are now being used to transport illicit drugs, arms and ammunition, and other dangerous items around Lagos, a development that has created concern among stakeholders in the state.

Besides, whenever there is any accident involving a dispatch rider and another person, the riders instantly mobilise themselves and often assume the role of judge, blaming whoever is involved in the accident as long as he or she is not one of them. They drag for right of way with drivers, even truck drivers, with impunity.

Just recently, an unidentified dispatch rider was crushed to death by a truck in the Ilupeju area while dragging for right of way with a minibus, popularly known as korope. The rider subsequently lost control and collided with a truck, which crushed him and his motorcycle.

This was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq.

LASTMA attributed the accident to a dangerous struggle for right of way with a commercial minibus before the dispatch rider lost control and crashed into a moving articulated trailer.

READ ALSO: Lagos: LASTMA moves to curb highway crashes by dispatch riders

“Preliminary security investigations disclosed that the tragic incident ensued after the dispatch rider reportedly engaged in a dangerous struggle for right of way with a commercial minibus, popularly known as ‘Korope’, before losing control of the motorcycle and crashing into a moving trailer along the ever-busy Ilupeju corridor.

READ ALSO: Policeman, four others die in Lagos-Ibadan expressway crash

“The severe impact of the collision resulted in fatal injuries, culminating in the death of the rider at the scene,” Taofiq stated.

Meanwhile, residents have appealed to the state government and the relevant agencies to urgently look into and regulate the activities of dispatch riders, who, according to them, now constitute a security threat on roads in the state.

A road user, Chukwuka Christopher, while speaking on his driving experience with despatch riders, said, “Despatch riders can rightly be described as terrorists because they are terrorising road users, especially motorists. They are always in a hurry, driving recklessly without minding who gets hurt.

“Majority of them seem to be on drugs because they always throw caution to the wind. They don’t obey traffic laws and have no decorum or respect.”

Recounting his experience with one of the dispatch riders, Christopher stated: “I’ll describe them as advanced Okada riders and failed Uber drivers. Recently, one of them hit my vehicle from behind and damaged my bumper. Instead of apologising, he sped off and, while zooming away, knocked down a woman carrying a baby on her back. All efforts to apprehend him proved abortive. That is why I call them terrorists.

“Secondly, some of them deliberately engage in over-speeding to avoid being arrested. Recently, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) decided to follow a dispatch rider who was driving recklessly and, when he was apprehended and his bike searched, a large substance suspected to be hard drugs was discovered and recovered from him.

“As of last year, over 20 dispatch riders had been arrested for drug trafficking. In fact, I thought commercial motorcycle riders (Okada) were the worst thing that had happened to us until the coming of dispatch riders.

“They are causing problems on our roads. Many of them have knocked down passers-by. I remember a female banker, Phidelia, who was hit by the box attached to the back of a dispatch rider’s motorcycle. That lady couldn’t walk for over six months.

“A friend of my elder brother’s knocked down a dispatch rider who rode into his vehicle. The rider died, but my brother’s friend was arrested and suffered for a crime he did not commit. After spending the sum of N100,000 at the hospital, the man died and my brother’s friend paid N1.5 million as compensation to the deceased’s family.

“As they knock innocent passers-by down, injuring, maiming and sending others to early graves, so also are they knocked down by careless motorists. I remember vividly the case of one Michael, a dispatch rider who rammed into a stationary truck that ordinarily was visible, if the rider had not been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”

He added: “Two weeks ago, a trailer crushed an Okada rider to death in Lagos. If you visit the LASTMA loop, you will read about the colossal damage dispatch riders have caused Lagosians.

“Riding a dispatch motorcycle is like a suicide mission. Either they are killed or they kill someone else. The menace of the riders is enormous.

“The government should review the law guiding dispatch riding in the state. They should ensure that before anyone is allowed to become a dispatch rider, he must undergo drug and psychological tests and sign an undertaking to be of good conduct and not engage in reckless riding.”

Another road user, who identified himself simply as Aderopo, said: “I usually don’t pray to have any encounter with them. They will not only delay but also attack you if you are not careful. They are always right, no matter how wrong they are.”

Akin, a private car driver, while sharing his experience with a despatch rider, said: “A few months ago, I was driving from Maryland towards Ikeja. We experienced slight traffic close to the Nigeria Customs Service office. We were all in the traffic when this dispatch rider suddenly came from nowhere and hit my vehicle’s side mirror.

“Before I realised what was happening, the dispatch rider, with the bucket attached to the back of the bike, had removed the mirror.

“The most unfortunate thing is that he never even bothered to wait. He just disappeared. Unfortunately, I was the only one in the vehicle that day, so I was helpless. I think these guys are fast becoming a menace on our roads and a headache to other road users.”

We are studying the situation —Brand owner

A brand owner whose company makes extensive use of the services of these dispatch riders agreed that the situation is becoming increasingly worrisome.

The entrepreneur, who did not want his name in print, explained that his company had incurred substantial losses as a result of this in the past.

“The fact remains that those guys are not actually part of us, though they are everywhere with our corporate identity. And sometimes, when they run into problems like this, especially when items in transit get damaged as a result of their carelessness, we have no choice but to compensate clients as a way of protecting the brand name,” he explained.

He, however, stated that the company is presently studying the situation with the aim of coming up with the best strategy to tackle it.

What we are doing —LASTMA

The spokesperson of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, while speaking on what the government is doing regarding the recklessness and violence associated with dispatch riders, said the agency is taking proactive measures to sanitise Lagos roads again.

“LASTMA has continued to intensify enforcement, sensitisation and stakeholder engagement initiatives aimed at addressing the growing menace of reckless operations by commercial dispatch riders on Lagos highways,” Taofiq said.

Confirming the surge in cases involving dispatch riders in recent times, the LASTMA image maker, however, expressed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that every biker, motorist and road user complies with the state’s traffic rules and regulations.

“Yes, there has been an alarming increase in cases involving dispatch riders engaging in dangerous riding habits such as excessive speeding, wrongful overtaking, violation of traffic regulations, driving against traffic, indiscriminate lane indiscipline and unhealthy struggles for right of way with larger vehicles.

“Regrettably, these infractions have culminated in avoidable road crashes, severe injuries and tragic loss of lives across several parts of the state,” he stated.

As part of measures aimed at addressing this, Taofiq stated that the agency had undertaken several proactive measures, including sustained enforcement operations against errant despatch riders violating extant traffic laws and strategic stakeholders’ engagements with courier companies, logistics operators and despatch riders’ associations.

“LASTMA convened the ‘LASTMA Strategic Road Safety Stakeholders’ Engagement with Courier and Dispatch Riders in Lagos State,’ held on May 14, 2026. At the event, all relevant stakeholders were in attendance, including the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, NDLEA, FRSC, LASAMBUS, SEHMU, MVAA, VIS, LASEMA, Lagos State Fire Service, NURTW, LASDRI, LAMATA, LBSL, Traffic Radio and the Lagos State Task Force,” Taofiq said.

He also stated that LASTMA has embarked on “public enlightenment and safety advocacy campaigns emphasising speed regulation, defensive riding culture and compliance with highway codes, as well as collaboration with relevant security and regulatory agencies to strengthen monitoring and compliance mechanisms.”

Other measures put in place by LASTMA, he added, include continuous traffic surveillance across critical corridors and highways where dispatch riders are frequently involved in infractions and fatal accidents.