• Friday, March 29, 2024
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We will flush out foreigners riding ‘Okada’ in Lagos – CP

We will flush out foreigners riding ‘Okada’ in Lagos – CP

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Lagos State Abiodun Alabi says they going after foreigners operating as commercial motorcyclists (Okada) in the state.

Alabi said on Friday that the command was aware that foreigners were operating as motorcyclists in Nigeria’s major commercial city. The CP spoke while parading 13 suspects for alleged involvement in various crimes in the last one month.

Many of the motorcyclists operating in Lagos and some neighbouring states are nationals of Niger Republic, Togolese, and Chad.

“We are aware that many commercial motorcyclists operating in Lagos are foreigners and we have commenced routine checks with the aim of profiling them.

“When we finish the profiling, we will hand them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and possible repatriation,” he said.

On the inflow of motorcycles into Lagos State, Alabi said the command was activating the old strategy by deploying officers to all border towns to check every means of importing motorcycles into the state.

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“We are going to carry out the old strategy by ensuring that no motorcycle comes into the state. We will seize any motorcycle found in any vehicle coming into Lagos,” he said.

The CP had last week advised that people should stop giving out motorcycles as means of empowerment, but adopt other meaningful venture.

Alabi, on Thursday, was reacting to the total ban of commercial motorcycles in some local government areas in Lagos.

“People buying Okada (motorcycles) as empowerment for people should have a rethink.

“The fact remains that banning Okada in Lagos while some people are bringing them in through empowerment is giving police problems in implementing the already existing laws,” he said.

The Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu last week slammed a fresh ban on the operations of Okada across six urbanised six local government areas of the state. They include Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Apapa, Lagos Island, and Ikeja.