Okada ban: Lagos residents allege ‘organised’ exploitation by policemen

Some Lagos residents have alleged exploitation by some policemen who pretend to be riders of commercial motorcycles, popularly called Okada, which have been banned in some parts of the state.

The residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday, said that the alleged perpetrators were usually in Okada uniform and deliberately drove their victims to a task force against Okada riding.

According to the residents, the ‘Okada riders’ carry their passengers to a waiting task force for arrest.

They alleged that after the arrest, the task force, made up of policemen, would allow the ‘Okada riders’ to drive off but threaten the passengers with prosecution.

They said that the task force would take the passengers to their station and make them to pay as much as N50,000 for bail.

The residents listed some of the areas where policemen allegedly perpetrate the act to include Oshodi, Iyana-Ipaja, Sango, Ikotun, Ketu and Mile 12.

A resident, who claimed to have fallen victim, Mr Akinyemi Oni, alleged that it was a planned exploitation.

He said that both the ‘Okada riders’ and the task force were working together.

Mr Linus Chukwuka, who also claimed to have fallen victim, said that the alleged perpetrators were taking advantage of Okada ban in some parts of Lagos to extort the residents.

Chukwuka called on the state government to repair bad roads and speed up ongoing road constructions causing traffic jam.

“Some of the victims of this exploitation were forced to use bikes to meet up with appointments, as using vehicles will waste their time in traffic,” he said.

NAN reports that Lagos State Government banned commercial motorcycle operation in 10 local government areas and five local council development areas.

The ban took effect from June 1, 2022, as part of measures to secure lives and property.

The affected council areas include Ikeja, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, Surulere and Apapa.

The others include Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Shomolu, Mushin, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Isolo, Bariga and Odi-Olowo.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had warned that, if arrested, both the Okada riders and their passengers would be liable to three years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of N50,000 each.

He added that the Okada would be confiscated.

“We will crush that bike and the public will see the crushing process. This is in line with the provisions of Section 46, Sub-Section 1, 2 and 3 of the Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Contacted, the spokesman for the police command in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, described the alleged victims as law breakers who should be arrested.

Hundeyin said that the law banning commercial motorcycle operation in the affected areas had not been repealed.

He listed the alleged victims’ offences as riding on Okada in prohibited areas and offering bribe to public officers.

He also said that bribe collection by a public officer remained an offence.

“The ‘victims’ should report the conduct of the officers, with their names, to their divisional police officers or the police public relations officer,” he added.

DailyPost: https://dailypost.ng/2023/02/14/okada-ban-lagos-residents-allege-organised-exploitation-by-policemen/

For those who don't have time to read, here is a less than one minute video explaining what is allegedly happening:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQZMPYt9tYo

Let me get this right.
Loads has been banned in Lagos meaning both the Okada rider and passenger are committing a crime.

Now some unscrupulous policeman are taking advantage of that by disguising as Okada riders, pick up passengers and then drive then to task force for extorting now said riders who have been well extorted are complaining.

This is a case of buying "leaked" JAMB questions, then turn around to scream when they turn out to be fake. Who do you report to? Both the rider and Police officials are committing an offence.

Things will be better if people just obey the law

Pathetic

In the same lagos that tifnubu created and perfected...when we the youth rose up in endsars against this police harassment,

The evil government sent killer thugs, touts and armed men to kill their own youths...20.10.20. We will never forget.

Apc and tifnubu are evil and demonic, and must be rejected.

Vote OBI2023

It is Tinubu's Lagos.

Whatever happens in one man's property is not enough to make the rest of us worry or lose sleep.

Tinubu can handle it! Let's move forward!

I will never allow the okada rider to leave... we die der.....olopa ma ko everybody

So bad

Go out there and vote them out. Its going to be a tit for tat scenario next week. If they seized your okada which is your source of livelihood in the last 4 years and you still want to vote same people for whatever reasons, your brain needs diagnosis

You can't ride a napep in Lagos freely in the approved routes despite obtaining all the necessary legal papers. The majority of oluomo boys won't allow you cos they own over 1m napeps stationed at the various bus stops in lagos. They must load before you. Isn't that frustrating? There's one man called Istijabar who happens to be one of the head thugs in lagos. He owns over 10k napeps alone and they still want you to come out and vote their candidate while they keep taking your food away from you. No be curse be dat?

That's good for the riders. Why ride the okada when you know it is against the law For the official, they will soon meet their Waterloo.

This so bad ...

Law enforcement and illegal activities survive this much because there is no body camera

Nigeria police are only good at extorting it's citizen shiooor

Ok

i have never seen the sense in crushing confiscated bikes. waste of resources and stupidity in my opinion

Ok

All okada riders in lagos voting for tinubu again, your stupidity shall never cease to dwell in you.

But banned okada, you're a criminer by patronizing them also.must you climb okada?

Police is your friend.

Attribute of a shithole

It is just so obvious this people(police) are looking for our trouble, Honestly the next End sars and police brutality protest will be bloody and that of 2020 will be a child's play when compared.

We seriously need a new Nigeria, come February 25th all of you go collect.

.

Nigerian police that are no more SARS (Special anti robbery squad but now SAOS (Special Anti okada squad) have taken it from there.

They don't see it as exploitation because the okada rider is on their paybooks. The work of okada men is to station themselves in areas that are banned. Any passenger that now enter their bike will be driven to task force.

Nigeria is a huge crime scene, know this and have peace.

This I have seen.

Why will you patronize banned transportation

K

I did a thread on the plight of okada men (and to be fair, minibuses and buses are not left out of the racketeering) in Lagos. Banning Okada in certain places in Lagos is just weak. Check Google Map when the road is free around midnight and you'd see the actual distance required to cover the distance, say, from Badagry to Mile 2(This axis is not on the list of banned locales, mind you). Attempt that drive in the morning or afternoon, your choice, and you'd doubt if Google Map knows jackshit about the distance. The hours you will commit there can make you visit LAPO so you can pay for a single room away from here.

Almost everywhere is one construction or the other going on for the past 10 years (if not more) on the same stretch of road; I've lost count of the years. The police will extort and hand over to LASMAG abi LASPAG, who will hand over to the agberos, over to the mini agberos. At the end of the day, It is passengers that bear the brunt.

Welcome to APC govt

faceland:

DailyPost: https://dailypost.ng/2023/02/14/okada-ban-lagos-residents-allege-organised-exploitation-by-policemen/

faceland:
For those who don't have time to read, here is a less than one minute video explaining what is allegedly happening:

Don’t break the damn law, and nobody will “exploit” you dummies…
This is akin to complaining that a thief stole something you had stolen!! SMDH
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