Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The joint enforcement team of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has crushed 432 commercial motorcycles for illegally plying along Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja.
Top officials of FCTA and heads and representatives of various security agencies, including paramilitary organisations domiciled in the FCT, observed the crushing exercise, which took place inside an open space at Lugbe Car Wash, along the Airport road corridor.
Areas raided include Bill Clinton interchange, Karon-Majiji, Kuchingoro, Piwoyi Junction near Shoprite mall, Lugbe FHA, popular Lugbe Car Wash, Police Signboard, along Airport Road, all in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), where the taskteam clamped down on some riders, who attempted to flee the scene.
Secretary, FCT Transportation Secretariat, Abdullahi Adamu Candido, reiterated that the government will not relent on the reinvigorated effort to rid the city of the menace of commercial motorcycles.
He warned the operators and owners of commercial motorcycles to keep off the major roads of Abuja, especially the city centres and the gateways into the FCT.
In same manner, Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Abdulateef Bello, said the crushing exercise, which was the third in the series of its enforcement of the ban on Okada operations in the city, was a proof of its zero tolerance of the menace.
He said, the motorcyclists continued insistence to operate in the city was no longer a traffic offence, but a serious security breach that required the intervention of the government, hence the involvement of military and paramilitary agencies to effectively tackle it.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, the choice of the location for the signature exercise was in order to send a strong signal to the perpetrators in a different direction, adding that as long as they remain recalcitrant, the FCTA will remain resolute to go after them.
