CITIZENS COMPASS– A suit challenging the ban on commercial motorcycles popularlly known as Okada and tricycles popularlly known as Keke NAPEP on some Lagos roads has been dismissed.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos dismissed the suit by a resident of the state challenging the Lagos State Government’s restriction of commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke NAPEP) from some of its roads.
Justice Akintayo Aluko held that the applicant, Julius Ajibulu, “failed woefully” in his bid to reverse the ban which has been in place since 2018.
The judge held that Ajibulu also failed, among others, to establish that the Lagos State government has no power to ban the operation of tricycles and motorcycles in respect of the designated roads in the state.
The judgment followed the Plaintiff’s suit marked FHC/L/CS/1389/2020 against the Governor of Lagos State, Attorney General of Lagos State, Commissioner for Transportation and Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly as 1st to fourth defendants respectively.
Lagos State had on Monday, January 27, 2020, moved against commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke NAPEP), proscribing their operations in six Local Government Areas (LGAs), nine Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and 10 major highways across the state with effect from February 1, 2020.
The government directed security operatives to embark on a total enforcement of the State’s Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 to immediately address the chaos and disorderliness created by illegal operations of Okada and tricycle riders in restricted areas.
–The Nation
