The Arewa community in Lagos State on Sunday directed all its members across the state to comply with the provisions of the laws existing in Lagos, including the one which a few days ago placed a total ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles called okada in six local governments and nine local councils developed areas, saying the law was not new having been in existence for over 10 years.
The community, under the aegis of Lagos State Arewa Community General Assembly (LASACOMM), said this in a 9- point communiqué issued at the end of its meeting, pointing out that it took this unanimous decision as its members were law-abiding and will always continue to intimate on all its members to continue to be law-abiding and operate only within the ambits of the law.
The Assembly, in the communiqué signed by its Secretary-General, Alhaji Musa Saleh, while throwing support for all measures taken by the Lagos State government in its efforts towards protecting the life and prosperities of all Lagosians, condemned in totality the activities of all criminal elements who it said were mostly foreigners from Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon and other Neighbouring countries who had infiltrated the ranks of those genuine riders and thereby perpetrating all forms of crime in the state and were constituting serious threats to the lives and properties of Lagosians.
It, therefore, called on the security agencies in the state to identify and arrest all those criminal elements masquerading as Okada riders.
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This was just as the Assembly also charged the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to step up its actions along the country’s borders to forestall the influx of those foreign elements coming into Nigeria without genuine intention.
“The restriction of Commercial Motorcycle ( Okada) operators in some Local Governments in Lagos State is not a bew law. It has been in existence for over ten years.
“We resolved today unanimously that all our members must comply with the provisions of the laws of Lagos State. We are law-abiding and we will always continue to intimate on all our members to continue to be law-abiding and operate only within the ambits of the law.
“We support all measures taken by the Lagos State government in its efforts towards protecting the life and properties of all Lagosians.
“We condemn in totality the activities of all criminal elements who are mostly foreigners from Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon and other Neighbouring countries who have infiltrated the ranks of those genuine riders and thereby perpetrating all forms of crime in Lagos state and are constituting serious threats to the lives and properties of Lagosians.
“We are calling on the security agencies to identify and arrest all those criminal elements masquerading as okada riders.
“We also tasking the Nigeria Immigration Service to step up its actions along the borderline in checking the influx of those foreign elements coming into the country without genuine intention,” the communiqué stated.
Speaking further, the Arewa community in Lagos pledged its total commitment and support to the administrative policies of the state government in “getting rid of all security threats, promoting peace and tranquillity, safeguarding lives and properties of Lagos and the massive provision and development of infrastructures facilities for all Lagosians.”
“We are calling on all well-meaning Arewa Community members to comply with our common resolve and avoid the Local Governments of Apapa, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Etiosa and Ikeja.
“We will work with the Lagos State government and the Association of Arewa Okada Riders towards the implementation of extant rules and documentation of all riders in all Local Governments of Lagos State,” the communiqué.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Arewa Community General Assembly has said that there was a need to have adequate data on every okada rider in the state, calling on the state government to be vigilant and take proper punitive measures on bad eggs within the security agencies.
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