WALE AKINSELURE and HAKEEM GBADAMOSI report that the influx of okada riders from the Northern part of the country has been a continuous point of anxiety to residents in the South West, even as the attempt to register all operators of the business has not been a smooth ride, in spite of the urgency to do so in order to keep criminal elements out of their midst.
In many parts of South West Nigeria, the number of okada riders has continued to rise on a daily basis. In fact, they now outnumber commercial vehicles (cabs and buses) by a very wide margin. However, a closer look at the composition of the riders has shown that a large number of them had relocated from the Northern part of the country. A worrying development, also, is that apart from not being properly documented, many of them are barely able to ride their okada flawlessly.
Investigation by Sunday Tribune revealed that one major reason for this influx is the spread of insurgency in the North which has displaced millions of people from that region, according to recent statistics, while the spate does not look like slowing down.
A United Nations report earlier in February put the estimated number of displaced people at 2.7 million, while the reported poor welfare condition at Internally Displaced Persons camps has left many Northerners with no option than to seek survival down South.
With strange faces emerging from different locations on a daily basis, and their okada bearing no registration numbers, many residents of states in the South West are, understandably, expressing fear, especially as crime rate has continued to rise with perpetrators using motorbikes as major tools. In many instances, the okada riders have been discovered to keep weapons under their seats.
As a result of these developments, the major umbrella body of okada riders, the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) in most of the states had taken steps to register the new entrants and to checkmate their influx.
Fear of the unknown
An Okada rider in Akure, Ademola Iyiola, while speaking on the influx of operators from the North said: “new faces dominated some areas which include, Araromi, Shagari, Road block, Shasha, Oba Ile and some other interior area of the (Akure) town.
“You need to see how they usually troop out in the early morning in their numbers in areas like Owode area of Oba Ile and Ondo road, where they have a settlement. Most of them are from the North and they are increasing every day.
“You will recognise them because most of them do not know all these routes and all they will tell you is that you should lead them to your destination. Some of them rob at will because they are neither members of ACOMORAN nor did they register with the state government,” he said.
Another okada rider, who identified himself as Wale said the influx of new faces and unregistered commercial motorcycle operators had been linked with robbery incidences in the state in the last couple of weeks.
He called on the state government to check the influx of the strange faces who have made the outskirts of the town their abode. He added that government alone cannot curb the influx, adding that developments arising from the presence of the strange faces have led some housing estates in the state capital to disallow okada riders within their area, as many of the residents had been attacked by the okada riders.
“There were about three robbery incidences in Oba Ile Estate within this week, carried out by Okada riders. Many of the victims alleged that the perpetrators were people from the North as they spoke Hausa fluently.
“We will need to appeal to the state government to introduce the registration of Okada riders while ACOMORAN should be restored to work hand in hand with the government. This will help in identifying the hoodlums who pretend to be okada riders but use the business to attack, steal and rob unsuspecting members of the public,” Wale he said.
Hazardous registration process
In Ondo State, registration of okada riders was ongoing initially, but due to the influx of more riders from Lagos due to the ban on okada operations there, the registration was suspended across the 18 local governments in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant to Ondo State governor on Special Duties, Dr Doyin Odebowale, who reiterated the need for the suspension of the ban, said it was put on hold in order to fish out new riders who had sneaked into the state. He added that the suspension of the registration process will make it impossible for new entrants into the business to operate without being identified by the relevant authorities, as registration is now being done electronically.
“This was part of the measures put in place, because there were too many complaints of accidents, and crime rate was (getting) so high that there was no way the government will just stand-by and watch; picking our people, (and) robbing them at every corner, even at the ATM stands. So we had to insist on registration.
“Now, we get thumb impressions, we capture their pictures and a card is given to them upon the verification of their addresses. Then, the governor directed that we should give them reflective jackets for free.
“At the back of the jacket, there is a number peculiar to the rider alone and it is not transferable. The number is synchronised with the number on the card. So, with the number, you are able to trace the person. You will see the picture, the house, the guarantor and everything,” he said.
Sunday Tribune investigations also reveal that the state government would soon introduce what would be called Keke Aketi which will capture the data and other biometrics of the riders, after which they would be given distinct identification numbers and vests in order to keep unwanted people out of their midst.
Similar fears in Osun State have led to a desire to restart an already suspended registration process. Special Adviser to the state governor on Works and Transport, Toke Olaniyan, said it was important to monitor the situation, weed out the bad characters among the riders and take time to do a proper registration.
“We want all persons to be observant and vigilant. Any strange motorcycle operator should be reported immediately to the security agencies,” he said.
Mr. Bisola Raimi, the Chairman of Okada riders association in the state, said all necessary arrangement had been made to see that all his members are distinctly distinguished from other okada riders in the state. He, however, stated that it is now compulsory for all his association members to put on their specified aprons for easy identification.
The same security concern on the influx of criminal elements into the fold of okada riders has kept the Oyo State chapter of ACCOMORAN on its toes, though it said it is not bothered by the ethnicity of its members but to sanitise and regulate the body. As a result, the association is currently pushing for a pain-staking registration process, which unfortunately has not succeeded.
Chairman of ACCOMORAN in the state, Mr Solomon Olugbode, said the association was in the process of resuscitating its stalled system of registering its members. According to him, those from the Northern part of the country among the riders would have to ensure that their local leaders (Seriki) sign their registration form on their behalf.
However, the bone of contention is that the state government wants to take the biometric data capturing through a contractor while ACOMORAN wants to do the registration by itself, being the umbrella body of the riders.
“We have been working on registering and regulating our members but due to EndSARS and COVID-19, the plan has been disorganized. We are trying to return to our system. Normally, we register our members, get their identity, where they live, especially the Hausas, through the Serikis in each area who recognises them and who will sign their forms.
“They used to have ID cards and uniforms but we don’t have that now. We are training a new set of staff and having an enforcement system. We have unruly characters among them and some are not registered. We have to educate and sensitise them to return them to the system. We are writing to government to give us a backing to regulate, especially as it relates to insecurity. They are working on the issue of data capturing.
“It is a programme of the government but we are saying that the stakeholders should be involved. The government wants to do it because they want to know the number of Okada riders in the state and who and where they live. They have written us, especially the Ministry of Transportation. They are talking of giving the assignment to a contractor but we have argued that we can do it ourselves.
“We have our members who are Hausa and Yoruba but the truth is that some of the Hausa riders do not know how to ride and some go about putting weapons under their seat due to current insecurity. But we want to sanitise the system. We have also told government that most of those who commit crimes are not okada riders. Criminals kill some of the okada riders to get their bikes and use them to rob and commit crimes,” he said.
Executive Chairman, Oyo State Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA), Mr Akin Fagbemi confirmed that the state government is working on the modalities of registering and regulating the okada riders, adding that the state government was relying on leaders of the motorcycle and tricycle associations to provide government with data for registration.
He added that the state had begun some form of regulation by asking commercial motorcyclists to paint their bikes in the state’s colours while also coming up with a one-passenger policy.
According to Fagbemi, the state was already enforcing some of the policies while it would soon begin the registration of okada and tricycle riders.
“Once we ensure that we have data of those into commercial operations, we’ll do what we call route numbering which means when you are plying a particular route, there is going to be a limitation; you cannot move away from where you have been assigned.
“As a government, we do not want to see people as Hausa okada riders or Igbo okada riders. Okada riders are the same regardless tribe. Crime is not an origin of a particular tribe,” he stated further.
Registration of okada riders is also ongoing in Ekiti State where over 3000 riders biometrics had already been captured. ACCOMORAN chairman in Ekiti State, Mr Kunle Ashaolu, told Sunday Tribune that his office is aware of the influx of foreign okada riders into the state but said everything is being done to check their activities.
Ashaolu noted that several meetings had been held with officials of the state government on need to register riders including the foreigners so as to track down their activities.
He explained those already captured were given reflective jackets with a security code that would be used to track them and control their activities. He added that no one would be allowed to operate in the state after the completion of the registration exercise.
“The truth is, a lot of crimes were committed with okada and we said: ‘what can we do to address it?’ That is why we came up with the reflective jacket with security codes. It will reduce the level of crime because every rider will have a code that people can copy if there is any crisis and right on our system, we can detect who this person is. We also do data capturing with biometric for easy identification.
“After the registration, coming very soon, nobody will be allowed to come into the state to operate. Also, people that failed to do the registration will be arrested and prosecuted by the law enforcement agencies,” he said.
However, efforts to get the reaction of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Kayode Fayemi on Transport, Mr Adumo Rufus, were not successful as he did not respond to calls and messages put across to him.
In the same vein, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Akin Omole, did not respond to Sunday Tribune’s calls, neither did he reply messages sent to his mobile phone.
Northern okada riders speak
An indigene of Borno State who identified himself as Shugaba works as an okada rider in Ibadan and plies the Challenge-Felele-Molete axis. According to him, he has chosen to remain in Ibadan because he no longer has a village to return to due to insurgency in the North East. Thus, he had no option than to follow the mass movement of people from that area down to the South.
“I am from Borno, but I moved to Ibadan last year. I hail from a village in Borno but everything’s gone now due to constant Boko Haram attacks and many of us able-bodied people had to seek refuge in the South.
“On occasions, we see a truck or trailer conveying goods and people and we beg (them) to allow us to travel with them. It was initially difficult settling here but now, things are a bit smooth.
“I have a few people here who are also from my state and many others who are Hausa whom we relate and move together with. They have also made settling here less difficult,” Shugaba explained.
Speaking on how he was integrated into ACOMORAN, Shugaba said the association’s executives do not normally accept strangers but if one is able to produce a guarantor, then he’d be allowed to join them.
“That was how I joined the association and I pay my dues as and when due. The only time we have any form of disagreement with the park managers is when we do not pay the due on time,” he said.
Umaru Adil, from Taraba State came to Ibadan two years ago and has settled down into okada business, though he also digs wells anytime the request comes.
“I got to Ibadan 2018, and I was taken in by my fellow Hausa men at Sabo in Mokola, Ibadan. I was taught how to ride okada within two weeks, although I got injured many times and I have been involved in accidents few times (showing a thick scar on his right arm, and another scar to his leg), but I am now perfect.
“Most of us borrow bikes from our friends to use, while some of us go out to loan it. Some of us work for other people and we make returns at the end of each day,” he said.
A leader of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders Association of Nigeria in Ibadan, Oyo State, Fijabi Adepoju, mentioned that all ethnic groups, including the Hausa/Fulani, are welco
Speaking on the influx of Northerners into the South West to engage in okada business, a local ACOMORAN leader, Fijabi Adepoju said: “We cannot deny that their population is large and continues to grow. There is no junction you get to that you won’t meet them. However, we are also wise in the way we deal with them.
“Nobody is anticipating that any riot can break out or that they have any evil intention. So, we can only continue to sustain the cordial relation among all of us. Once that is intact, there should be no problem.”
Adejare Toheeb, a security man, is also into okada business and comes across other riders from the North. According to him: “most of the Hausa bike riders do not belong to any garage or association as most of them stay by the road side to pick their passengers. Most times where they are meant to take N150, they might collect N100.
“They are everywhere and they do not know how to ride the bike very well, but once they can move it, they believe they are good to go. Most of them were farmers, but once they are able to gather some money, they get motorcycles and start plying the roads. While some of them bring their motorcycles from their states, some buy it here at Ogunpa (Ibadan) where they sell fairly used machine for between N100,000 and N100,000,” he said.
A commuter, Femi Atolagbe, believe the influx from other parts of the country is predicated on the current situation of the country in which many Nigerians have become impoverished. He however, indicted okada riders from the North for some of the problems being experienced.
“If you look at most of the accidents that happen, it is these Northerners that are involved Hausa mostly.
“I learnt that one Hausa man said by the time he caused the death of three people, he would have become a better rider. Unknowing to him, the person he carried understood Hausa. And most of our Yoruba people like them because they charge cheaper fees. But the truth is most of them do not know how to ride properly,” he stated.
Ogun State Chairman of (ACOMORAN), Mr. Kayode Showunmi, confirmed that the union has a register for its members and it is open to all commercial riders who wished to join. He allayed fears that those from the North could be a threat to security of lives and property of the people of the state, submitting that all ethnic groups belong to the country.
The state Chairman of the Riders Owners Motorcycles Organization (ROMO), Mr. Shotayo Razaq, also said the organization has the data of all his members, including those from the North.
Efforts to get the reaction of the State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Gbenga Dairo, was however, not successful.
He directed our correspondent to liaise with the press officer of the Ministry for the position of government on the issue at hand. At the time of filing this report, there was no official reaction from government.
Despite the continuous influx already being experienced, the major cause which is insurgency and banditry in parts of the North is not abating leading to a major population shift in the country; the end might not be in sight for the socio-economic consequences already being experienced as a result.
- Additional reports by Adeolu Adeyemo, Kola Muhammed, Yomi Ayeleso and Adeola Otemade
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