Sanwo-Olu: Has Lagos Lifted the Ban on Okada?
Despite repeated government crackdowns and assurances that the ban on commercial motorcycles remains firmly in place, the sight of okada weaving through Lagos traffic has become increasingly common again, raising fresh questions about enforcement, public safety, and the growing wave of robberies linked to both okada and dispatch riders across the city, writes Sunday Ehigiator
For three years, Lagos State has insisted that commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada, are banned from major highways and key local government areas. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has repeatedly emphasised safety, orderliness, and the need to reduce alarming rates of motorcycle-related accidents and crimes. Enforcement agencies have carried out thousands of impoundments, crushed seized motorcycles, and announced tighter controls. But today, in many parts of Lagos, the question on the lips of residents is a simple one: ‘Is Okada back?’
A visit to several parts of the city over the past three weeks suggests a reality that contradicts official declarations.
From Ogba to Surulere, Okota to Ikorodu, Ojodu Berger to Mile 2, motorcycles, both commercial okada and dispatch bikes, are not just present; in many areas, they are back in full force. And with their return has come an unsettling rise in robbery incidents carried out by riders, including those masquerading as deliverymen.
Findings across Lagos
When the government intensified the ban in 2022, Ogba was one of the first places where residents noticed a clear difference. The streets emptied of okada riders, bus stops adjusted, and commuters resigned themselves to longer treks.
That period is gone. Today, what you see in the early hours in Ogba are riders gathered around Ogba market, near the Sunday Market corridor, even around Ajayi road, Excellence hotel and along Wempco road, calling out to commuters just as they did before the ban.
Residents noted that the return began gradually around mid-2024, but by early 2025, the service had fully resumed.
“They disappeared for a while, but not completely,” said a shop owner near General Filing Station, who gave her name as Joyous Benjamin. “Now they are everywhere again. Only difference is they scatter whenever they hear Taskforce is coming.”
Surulere
Surulere, with its dense mix of homes, shops and narrow connecting roads, has always been fertile terrain for okada operations. At Shitta, Ijesha, Akerele and Census, Ogunlana areas, riders have returned in full swing, ferrying passengers along both major and minor roads.
The Task Force’s presence along major intersections like Lawanson and Bode Thomas provides only a temporary disruption. Riders simply divert through neighbourhood backstreets until the coast is clear.
A resident of Akerele, Mrs. Omishola Obadina, noted that, “From 6 am, they begin work. Whether the ban is on or not, people here depend on them. When the buses don’t come, or traffic holds everything up, okada becomes the only hope.”
Okota
Okota remains one of the most defiant zones. From Ago Palace Way to Apple Junction, motorcycles move like an organised fleet; speeding past gridlock, shuttling through estate gates, and servicing riders late into the night.
Dispatch riders are especially visible here, and that visibility has contributed to a new layer of insecurity.
In August, a viral social media post showed a young woman recounting how two men on a bike, disguised as a delivery duo, attempted to snatch her bag by the Canoe Bus Stop.
The confusion between legitimate dispatch riders and criminals posing as them continues to fuel anxieties in the area.
Ikorodu
Ikorodu is arguably where okada is most visible today. From Agric to Ogolonto, from Benson to Elepe and down through Ijede Road, motorcycles operate freely as though the ban never existed.
The sheer demand for transport, worsened by gridlock on the Ikorodu Road expansion corridor, means riders have a ready market. Many commuters openly admit they use okada daily, ban or no ban. Here, enforcement is comparatively weak, and the riders seem aware of it.
Ojodu Berger
Ojodu Berger has recently emerged as one of the hotspots for motorcycle-enabled robberies, particularly phone snatching and after-dark muggings.
Residents narrate cases of men on bikes trailing unsuspecting commuters at night, especially those walking toward underbridges or heading home from nearby bus stops such as Grammar School and Omole Phase 1.
In a viral post weeks ago, a middle-aged man recounted how two riders cornered him at about 9:45 pm along Isheri Road.
“They rode past me, then came back and stopped in front. Before I could react, one held a knife, and the other snatched my phone. They sped off into the estate.” He said the entire encounter lasted less than 12 seconds.
The police have made some arrests in recent months, but residents say the attacks persist; largely because the robbers rely on the speed and manoeuvrability of motorcycles to outrun any pursuit. Meanwhile, the community also shares a border with Ogun State, hence the enforcement difficulty on the ban of motorcycles, since Ogun State has no such ban in place.
Growing Crime Trend
Recent reports by security experts say the most worrying development is the use of delivery bikes as camouflage for robbery.
Over the past six months, Lagos has seen a rise in reports involving motorcycle robbers using falsified dispatch uniforms, fake branded delivery boxes, borrowed or stolen jackets from legitimate riders, and unregistered or cloned bikes modified to resemble platform bikes.
Criminals have learnt that Lagosians are hesitant to suspect a delivery motorcycle, which makes attacks easier and less conspicuous.
The most widely discussed example occurred in November 2025 when an influencer (name withheld for privacy) was ambushed by two men riding what appeared to be a popular brand’s (name withheld) dispatch bike.
She was on a walkway in an upscale Lagos neighbourhood when the bike slowed beside her. Before she realised what was happening, the passenger reached out and snatched her wig clean off her head.
The video she posted afterwards, emotionally recounting the shock and humiliation, spread rapidly on TikTok, X, and Instagram.
“These people didn’t take my phone. They just laughed and sped off with my wig. It’s not funny. It could have been worse. They pretended to be dispatch riders,” she said in the clip.
She isn’t alone. There are also cases of phones snatched at traffic lights by riders carrying insulated delivery bags, and reports of women targeted while walking in high-density neighbourhoods because criminals assume they will be carrying handbags or valuable hairpieces.
Security analysts warn that this trend is expanding because it exploits an already overburdened identification and regulation system.
Other Documented Cases
On November 3, 2023, 24-year-old okada rider, Idris Agunbiade, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for conspiracy and armed robbery committed using a motorcycle.
In January 2025, at Alapere-Ketu, residents raised an alarm over daily robberies carried out by criminals on motorcycles, targeting early-morning commuters and pedestrians. Also on January 28, 2025, in the same Alapere-Ketu, a tailor was reportedly robbed at gunpoint and beaten by men operating on a motorcycle during one of the morning attacks.
In June 2025, Police arrested two men, Yemi Aparaojo (aka Asa) and Samuel Adekunle (aka Omo-jo-Ibo), who were part of a gang accused of robbing passersby using motorcycles during daytime.
On September 29, 2025, in Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos Police arrested two suspected armed robbers who operated as a three-man gang using a motorcycle; the police recovered the operational bike.
Why Okada Is Back, Despite the Ban
Security and safety expert, Onyekachi Ike, points to four main reasons: “Transport gaps: Long waits for buses, limited first-mile/last-mile options, and ongoing BRT operational challenges mean okada fills a gap.
“Enforcement fatigue: The Lagos State Taskforce cannot cover every street daily. These perpetrators watch patterns and then return quickly after raids.
“Economic desperation: With rising unemployment and cost-of-living pressures, thousands of young men find motorcycles to be their only reliable income source.
“Camouflage opportunity: Dispatch uniforms have unintentionally created a new operational loophole for criminals and okada riders seeking cover.”
Call to action
Despite the government’s repeated assurances that the ban on commercial motorcycles remains in force, the persistent return of okada across Lagos, and the rising number of robberies carried out on two wheels, show a widening gap between policy and reality.
The current situation not only undermines the state’s transport and security objectives but also places ordinary residents at constant risk.
To restore order and protect lives, the Lagos State Government must reinforce its ban with consistent, citywide enforcement rather than periodic crackdowns that riders quickly adapt to.
Stronger surveillance, better coordination between task force units, and more visible patrols in hotspots like Ogba, Surulere, Okota, Ikorodu and Ojodu Berger are necessary to curb the resurgence of okada and reclaim the streets from criminals exploiting loopholes.
At the same time, dispatch operations, now frequently mimicked by criminals, urgently require structural reform.
The state must work with delivery companies to introduce stricter verification systems, mandatory registration, visible rider identification, tamper-proof tracking numbers, and enforceable speed limits to prevent dispatch bikes from being used as high-velocity getaway vehicles.
Technology can also play a role through QR-coded boxes, GPS-enabled compliance checks and penalties for reckless riding.
Without regulating the dispatch ecosystem and tightening oversight, criminals will continue to exploit delivery gear as camouflage. Reinforcing the okada ban while reorganising dispatch operations is no longer optional; it is the only path to making Lagos safer, more predictable and less vulnerable to the crimes currently riding on two wheels.
