Menace of Okada Riders on Lagos Roads

Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that the recent brutal murder of a chief superintendent of police by some commercial motorcycle riders at the Ajao Estate area of Lagos has again brought to the fore the menace of the riders popularly known as Okada, especially with the influx of undocumented foreigners who have taken over the business

At Ajao Estate, one of the many suburbs that dot Lagos State, commercial motorcyclists popularly known as Okada are a permanent feature in virtually all neighbourhoods. During the day, they ferry passengers and at night, they park on the road in clusters and sleep on their motorcycles at the mercy of the elements.

It is pertinent to state that more than 80 per cent of these riders are from the Northern region, with half of that figure being undocumented migrants from neighbouring countries.

Beyond Ajao Estate, this scenario is often replicated in virtually all areas across the state, with few exceptions. Known for recklessness, these riders flout basically all road traffic rules including riding against traffic and plying expressways.

Death at Dusk
Last Thursday, these riders at Ajao Estate went berserk and brutally murdered CSP Kazeem Sumonu Abonde attached to the Operations Department of the Command. Also, DPO Ajao Estate, CSP Abdullahi Malla and other police officers equally sustained varying degree of injuries.

The deceased, who was at the verge of retirement, had led the taskforce to impound motorcycles in line with the recent enforcement of the ban by the Lagos State government. After they had succeeded in impounding few, the Okada riders who fled, brought reinforcement and attacked the taskforce.

Armed with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, bottles, battle axe, sticks and stones, they rushed the taskforce in anger. To contain the situation, the deceased was said to have asked his men not to shoot because of innocent bystanders, an action many told THISDAY represented the ethos of the peace-loving officer. He was said to be law abiding probably because of his understanding of the law as he was also a legal practitioner.

When they saw the policemen were not ready to shoot, the riders, who were mainly from the Northern extraction, rushed in with glee, forcing the officers to flee, except Abonde, who still tried to reason with them to down their weapons. But the riders bayed for blood as they struck him down with their weapons and gave him deep cuts before disarming him. As he cried for mercy, they taunted him as they hit him from all angles. He bled to death and from the gravity of injuries sustained.

Emboldened after shooting the SP, the riders were said to have stormed the police station where they allegedly opened fire, hitting some policemen on duty. Given the scale of violence, motorists and pedestrians, including shop owners were forced to flee to safety, with the latter abandoning their wares.

The command headquarters had to send reinforcement before tentative peace was
restored to the area. Expectedly, all commerical motorcyclists went into hiding for fear of reprisal by the police over the death and injury of their colleagues.

Police Command React

Reacting to the gruesome murder, the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu said the incident happened when tactical teams of the command comprising men drawn from RRS, Taskforce, Ajao Estate Division and other divisions were carrying out raid of identified flashpoints and enforcing the ban on use of motorcycles in restricted areas in the estate and similar places in the state.

He said: “The exercise was a routine proactive approach aimed at curtailing activities of armed robbers and other criminal elements in the state. Similar exercises were carried out in the past in other parts of the state which have resulted in reduction in crimes in the areas.

“After the successful operations which led to the arrest of some of the suspects, other criminal elements and hoodlums in their large number laid siege to the exit of the estate and attacked the policemen with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

“Unfortunately, during the fatal attack, CSP Kazeem Sumonu Abonde attached to the Operations Department of the Command was brutally killed by the hoodlums. The DPO Ajao Estate, CSP Abdullahi Malla and other police officers equally sustained varying degrees of injuries. The corpse of the deceased officer has been deposited at the Yaba Mainland Hospital for autopsy.”

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu while condemning the attack on the policemen who were carrying out legitimate duty at the time, has directed that a discreet investigation into the incident should be carried out immediately, while vowing to ensure that all suspects responsible for the dastardly act would be brought to book soon.

Advent of Okada
The advent of okada as an alternative means of transportation was caused by the perennial traffic snarls that has bedeviled the state since its creation more than five decades ago.

For any society to thrive, transportation is one of the key factors because it is pivotal to the economy. The reason is simple- the efficiency at which people, goods and services can move from one point to the other largely determines the quality of life of the society.

For Lagos, which boasts as the largest metropolis in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, as well as currently estimated to be the 7th fastest growing city in the world with its population of 22 million people, the perennial traffic has become a huge challenge to the state traffic management and transportation system.

Chaos
But with the entrance of okada, a name gotten from the defunct Okada Airways, these breed of riders have in no small measure contributed to the chaos in the mega city, also touted to be the commercial nerve centre of the nation.

Also, the rate of crimes aided by Okada and Keke keep rising as they are used as getaway means by criminals. They have been behind multiple road traffic accidents, often resulting to either death or injuries.

Umpteenth Ban
Given the chaos and its resultant negative effects like accidents and deaths, the state government recently resorted to reinforce the ban by former administrations, which prohibits okada riders from six local governments, nine LCDAs, 10 highways, 40 bridges and flyovers. Also affected by the ban were commercial tricycle riders popularly known as Keke.

It was in 2010 during the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola, that the government came all out guns blazing in a bid to ban commercial motorcycles. Given the fight they had at their hands in a bid to enforce the ban, the government went to the drawing board and thus the 2012 Lagos Traffic Law was borne.

The various laws regulating their operations as contained in Section 3 of the Road Traffic Law stipulate that they desist from plying any of the 475 roads, including highways and bridges restricted for their operations out of the 9, 200 roads in the state.

Thus, anyone found to have violated the Law will be dealt with in accordance with the Road Traffic Law, RTL 2012 Section 3 Subsection 5 which stipulates that “Any person who fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Section commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to: imprisonment for a term of three (3) years or render community service in accordance with the provisions of Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State and have his vehicle forfeited to the state.

Contained in Section 3 and Regulation 16 Sub-Section 4, 5 and 6 of the 2012 Road Traffic Law, the guidelines also stipulates the wearing of standard crash helmet with full protection for both rider and passenger.

It also prohibits the carrying of more than one passenger, carrying of children and pregnant women and also operation of okada beyond 8pm in Victoria Island, IKoyi and Ikeja and 10pm in other areas of the state.

It also strongly warns against riding of motorcycles on the kerb, median or road setbacks or in a direction prohibited by law and expects respect for all traffic laws and regulations.

Last month, CP Odumosu ordered officers and tactical commanders of the command to immediately embark on full enforcement of restriction order of the state government.

While reacting to what he described as an “act of lawlessness, recklessness and impunity being exhibited by some road users especially Okada riders” in some parts of the state, the police boss particularly ordered officers and men of the command to go after road users including Okada operators who drive against the traffic and ply BRT corridors. He emphasised that the violators should be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

While also appealing to residents of the state to desist from violating traffic laws, he said the command will implement the full enforcement of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 and other extant laws of Lagos State. It was in obedience to this directive that CSP Abonde, who was set to open his own law practice died at the hands of Okada riders, a death CP Odumosu said would not dampen morale of the command or discourage it from carrying out its statutory responsibility.