Olawale Ajimotokan, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Wednesday at Area 1crushed 476 impounded motorcycles in its renewed offensive on the enforcement of the ban on Okada riders within the Federal Capital City.
The Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, expressed shock that after the repeated warnings through different platforms, and the crushing of over 1,000 impounded bikes some months ago, people were still taking unnecessary economic risk by bringing in droves commercial motorcycles to restricted areas.
“It is worrisome that despite all that we do on a daily basis, the activities of these commercial motorcyclists have been linked with criminal activities.
“They ought not to operate within the capital city, but here we have them operating in total contraventions of what the law says in a modern city like Abuja,” Attah said.
He vowed that the taskforce team would not be deterred in the enforcement of the Okada ban despite being pelted with stones by a mob during the enforcement exercise.
Attah vowed the legal enforcement of laws cannot be dissuaded by impunity and attacks of any kind.
“I thought that having crushed many of the illegal bikes, this menace would have reduced. If not that we crush them publicly, people would have been thinking that we sell them to ourselves.
“We are crushing them in the full public glare and scrap is sold and the money paid into government’s account”, he said.
Also Speaking, the Director Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) Dr. Abdulateef Bello, said the impounding and crushing of the bikes will be sustained, so long as the operators keep violating the restrictions.
He urged FCT residents to help government in discouraging the lawlessness of the Okada riders, stating that the restrictions were still valid, and that the administration would remain committed to zero tolerance to violation of extant rules.
