LAGOS State government has commenced fresh consultations on how to end the menace posed by commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as okada riders in the state, amid renewed onslaught against criminality within their ranks.
This time, authorities are not ruling out a statewide ban, which may see over 500,000 riders completely out of job. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, told Nigerian Tribune that the state government had come under pressure from well-meaning residents, as the okada operators are now regularly linked with crimes and criminality, including murder.
In April, a scenario had prompted the state government rolling out measures, including strict enforcement of the partial ban placed on their operations, with a caveat that the future conduct of the operators would determine government’s next line of action.
By a wide margin, majority of the residents favoured okada being outlawed in the entire state. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, however, decided to give the riders another opportunity, while demanding strict compliance from them, but their recent activities appear to have negated the assurances given the authorities by the transport union leaders.
Omotoso said all cards are on the table, but would not want to preempt the governor, who he said has the final say on the fate of the riders in the state.
He said, “Governor Sanwo-Olu gave the police commissioner express instruction to go after all those who contributed in one way or the other to the death of the police officer (CSP Kazeem Abonde), and he made it known that anybody found to have hand in the incident would not escape the wrath of the law. Whoever is found culpable would be taken to court and judgment would be served.
“And because of this incident and some others, Lagosians have been saying that okada have been used to perpetrate these evils. It is only natural that we review our position on okada; we are going to review it.
“We are not going to say what will be the outcome; there are many stakeholders that are involved. If you recall what happened in April, you will discover that we deliberated on the matter. We called everybody.
“As things are now, consultations are on. But as leaders, we know what is good for our people, and when that time comes, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor, will take a decision on it, but I do not want to preempt what the decision of the state government would be. All I know is that we are going to review our stand on okada.”
Is anarchy looming?
For an average resident of Lagos State, the fear of the okada riders is the beginning of wisdom. They have become the king of the road in the state, despite operating the smallest unit of transportation in the mega-city.
In the absence of reliable data on membership strength, since they are mostly affiliated to units and zones, which relate with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, led by Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo), their number has been conservatively put at a little more than half a million and the membership strength has now become an instrument of terror to other road users.
From every day residents to uniformed personnel, security agents, to students, there is practically no group in the state that has not tasted of the tranny and road rage that now define okada operation in the state. Public commentators believe the state may be heading towards anarchy if the worsening violent attacks by the commercial motorcyclists on residents are not quickly checked.
In January 2020, Governor Sanwo-Olu had banned the riders from plying 10 major highways in six local government areas across the state. The ban, according to the governor, was predicated on the increasing rate of fatal accidents and criminal activities, aided by the use of motorcycles.
For lack of adequate enforcement, the ban has proven ineffective as the state has witnessed an inflow of youths, mainly from the northern part of the country embracing the trade, and being regularly seen on prohibited routes, including the Alausa axis, the location of the seat of power. The challenges thrown up by okada riders have attained an alarming proportion, with many of them lording it over pedestrians and other road users, becoming more violent in addressing road disputes and, in the process, attacking and killing police officers and residents. Consequently, residents have continued to groan over what they described as threat to their lives and the disorderliness of okada riders on major roads.
Only total ban can end menace -Taskforce
Giving reasons for the ineffectiveness of the proscription order, spokesman, Lagos State Taskforce, Femi Malik, said his team is limited in the area of enforcement. While disclosing that between January 1 and June 23, a total of 5,200 motorcycles were impounded by the task force across different locations, Malik called for an outright ban of commercial motorcycle in the state, noting that it is the only approach to ridding the state of the menace.
“We are limited in the area of enforcement. We are limited in the sense that we can only go after and arrest them, that is what the law says. It is only the Lagos State government that has the power to completely ban okada riders in the state.
“As I talk to you, there is nothing as regards total ban. We are equally hoping there will be an outright ban of commercial motorcyclists in the state. The menace of okada is a matter affecting the state; it is not just the issue of task force alone and the state command has taken up the challenge, mandating divisional police officers to go after them.
“Apart from this, the command has a committee that goes around to impound okada, consequent upon the killing of a senior police officer last Thursday,” he said.
Since the killing of the said officer in the Ajao Estate area of the state, about 60 suspects had been arrested, with more likely in the ongoing police raid.
While vowing action over the slain officer, Governor Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday said, “such display of savagery as the one in which CSP Abonde died will not be allowed in our state, no matter the circumstances. The law is there for us all, should there be need to redress any perceived wrongdoing. Citizens who take the law into their own hands are promoters of jungle justice, which will not be allowed to take root in our dear Lagos.”
Abonde was mobbed to death in the course of enforcing the partial ban on okada operation. Victims speak
Victims of brutal attacks by commercial motorcyclists have narrated their neardeath experiences. Some of the victims who spoke to Nigerian Tribune alleged that the okada riders, with daggers and other light weapons hidden underneath their bike seat, have taken over Lagos roads, lording it over passengers and other road users, including security agents.
About four months ago, some police officers and passersby were attacked at Lekki Phase 1 roundabout by some armed okada riders.
In the bloody attack, scores of passersby were injured as attackers went looting.
Similar attack was repeated on September 23 in the mob attack on police team which cost Abonde his life.
Aftermath of the attack, the state police command, in a statement by the spokesperson, Kunle Ajisebutu, said 43 suspects were arrested in connection with the killing while 19 motorcycles were impounded.
Condoling with the families of affected police officers, Sanwo-Olu vowed to bring an end to sense- less attacks on law enforcement agents and curb attempts to tram- ple on law and order. Relating his experience, a victim of okada riders’ attack, Kehinde Shekoni, claimed he was mobbed by some riders along Okokomaiko area of the state.
Shekoni, a former staff of Cars45, narrated that he was on an official assignment to deliver a car to a client when his car was bashed by a commercial motorcyclist who fled afterward.
“It was a terrible noon. The experience was horrible. To put it mildly, Lagos is fast descending into a state of anarchy. I had scaled through the terrible traffic situation at the Okokomaiko junction when an okada rider bumped unto my car from behind.
“He shattered the back rear light of the car I was to deliver to a client and fled before I could get out of the car. I quickly rushed back to the car and drove after him. Fortunately, I caught up with him at the Trade Fair. I expected that we would resolve the issue amicably but his colleagues numbering about 50 congregated under the bridge in solidarity, attacked me and took him away from the scene.
“I was made to pay N140,000 to repair the damaged part of the car while the culprit, the okada rider, with the help of other riders was allowed to go. With all the atrocities committed by okada riders on the roads, I think the Lagos State government needs to completely ban them from operating in the state and come up with a better alternative to ease the burden on residents,” he said.
Another victim, Gbenga Owotimo, alleged that many of the okada riders have weapons hid- den in the seat of their motorcycles. This, according to him, is what usually instills the confidence in them to launch attacks at any point in time.
He said, “The thing is that, many of these okada riders are cultists and informants to criminal gang. They monitor their passengers and give valuable information on them to their gang. The attack on innocent citizens by okada riders is one too many in Lagos and must not be overlooked, so that it will not degenerate into the kind of unrest and terrorism being experienced in the northern part of the country.
“On this particular day, at Abule Ado, in Oriade LCDA, I had a minor disagreement with an okada rider over the fare. He didn’t understand my language neither was his English understandable too, but I felt he was able to understand that I was to pay him N300 as transport fare.
“Upon getting to my destination, I gave him the agreed sum but he rejected it, saying I was to pay him N500. This was the cause of our disagreement and before I knew what was happening, they had gathered in solidarity, taking over the entire road and causing huge traffic.
“The kind of solidarity they enjoyed could be likened to that of politicians. It cuts across all ethnic groups. As I maintained my ground on not adding to the fare, someone among them dazed me with a hot slap on my neck while another flashed a table knife to my face, threatening to kill me if I refused to pay. The scene was like a daytime robbery. I had no choice but to pay N500 for a short distance journey.”
Government, poverty responsible – Lawyer, rider
Poverty and economic needs are a few of the major reasons responsible for an uncontrolled influx of youths across the country into Lagos State, with them, in their hundreds, opting for the okada business.
According to statistics by World Poverty Clock, 86,849,507 of the country’s population of 209,663,744 live in extreme poverty.
Of the total number of people living in extreme poverty, 64 per cent are rural dwellers while 14 per cent live in urban areas, taking up menial jobs like street-hawking, alms-begging, commercial motorcycling and more.
One of such rural dwellers, an okada rider at Ikotun busstop, Omoshola Iyanda, condemned the killing of the late police officer by his colleagues, but pleaded with the state government to consider those that are genuinely into commercial motorcycle business to earn a decent living.
He said, “The government should consider those of us that are forced into okada rid- ing business. I am not saying the mob attack on police team is justified; it is condemnable, but we have to live too. The government must be lenient with us and come up with a better alternative instead of banning okada riding business. There are bad eggs among us but it will make no sense for the government to throw the baby away with the bath water. They need to consider the number of people and families earning decent living from okada riding and come up with better alternatives and not further compound their economic woes.”
A foremost human rights activist and legal practitioner, Ayo Ademiluyi, blamed the state government for failing to address the fundamental causes of the growing menace of okada riding in the state. The pro-okada activist cited socioeconomic inequality and poverty which government at all levels have failed to resolve as contributory factors to the growing insecurity and other challenges in the state.
“This is what we have when less than one per cent of Nigeria’s population controls over 98 per cent of the entire resources. Nigeria has the highest number of youth population in the world, overtaking India. It is, however, unfortunate that this army of youths is unemployment and has resorted to okada riding to earn a living.
“As much as we do not support violent attack on innocent residents of the state and uniformed security personnel by the riders, the Lagos State government must resolve the challenges of inequality and poverty which are the driven factors of youth going into okada-riding business.
“To check the growing violence by okada riders, the government needs to engage commercial motorcycle associations for regular exchange of ideas and dialogue. As a lawyer, the Nigeria Labour law seems to be behind in today’s reality. The law does not recognise informal workers’ association as trade unions. The Trade Union Act of 2004 is more or less a very anarchistic document. We need a new labour law regime that can respond to workers’ population in the informal sectors.
“They are driven into the informal sector because of the collapse of manufacturing industries and absence of stable electricity supply which crippled their businesses. If the government is serious about ending the menace of okada riding in the state, they need to engage the informal sector concretely and democratically; otherwise, anarchy looms in Lagos,” he said.
The leadership of MC Oluomo has placed a ban on interaction with the media by affiliates of the union.
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