CITIZENS COMPASS —Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), on Thursday, impounded 253 commercial motorcycles popularly known as Okada operating along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway area of the State.
Recall that the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway is one of the restricted routes which the Taskforce has begun a clamp down after several warnings and laws put in place regarding Okada operations.
Taskforce spokesman, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem who confirmed this in a statement on said that the extensive exercise was orchestrated by the Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, who disclosed that these set of operations were warnings to okada operators but they obviously fell on deaf ears.
Jejeloye described Apapa-Oshodi Expressway as a take off point for okada operators who violate Lagos State Traffic laws by operating on that particular Highway and Apapa Local Government Area which is one of the LGA’s where okada operations have been banned outrightly.
“We have been to this particular location about twice because of the sensitivity of the corridor and routes it connects. However, our leniency has been taken for granted by these okada operators and perpetrators of illegalities in this area who feel we are oblivious of their activities. We surprised them today and confiscated all bikes that operate here. I am sure they would have gotten the picture by now”.
The Chairman described the activities of the okada operators as despicable as a result of their large numbers that congregate along the Expressway, thereby constituting nuisance and creating unnecessary bottlenecks on the Highway.
“From the volume of bikes seized you can imagine how this location looks like at rush hour. We have come to put an end to it so that Lagosians can have a breath of fresh air and commute along this axis peacefully.”
Jejeloye addressed illegal merchants of petroleum products who deal in the sale of petrol on the Highways saying that their days of engaging in such illegalities are numbered. He assured them that the Lagos State State Taskforce would swoop in heavily on them till sanity and environmental decorum is restored to the area.
He assured Lagosians that the Agency would keep up with the back to back enforcement for compliance exercise across all nooks and crannies in the State till the THEMES PLUS agenda of the State Government is actualised and sustained.
