Two leaders of the Hausa community in Lagos State have
warned their subjects to desist from any form of demonstration to protest the
ban of commercial motorcycles popularly known as Okada in six local government
areas in the state.
The leaders spoke in separate interviews with our
correspondent on Thursday evening.
One of the leaders, Iliyasu Kira, in a telephone interview, said no protest will be allowed from any member.
According to Kira, who is the Seriki of Shasha in the
Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, the decision of the government will sanitise
the system.
He said, “Our people are complaining because the ban will
affect them but we are calming them down. We will not allow any protest because
the government is superior and nobody should fight the government.
“There are bad eggs amongst Okada riders while there are
also good ones but the bad eggs have implicated the good ones by not obeying
traffic laws, riding Okada in the middle of the night, using one-way, carrying
dangerous weapons etc. We can only appeal to the government again to reconsider
its decision.”
Asked whether the association of Seriki Hausawa in Lagos has
met since the fresh ban on Okada by the government, Kira said they have not met
on the matter.
Also, the Seriki Hausa of Ajah, Ibrahim Ngoma, said no
protest will be allowed in the state as he was dialoguing with his subjects.
He said though the affected area where the task force
operated today does not fall under his purview, no protest will be allowed.
Ngoma said, “Right now, nobody is complaining because the
law has not taken effect as it will in June. We can’t protest, it is the law of
the Lagos State, and we will follow the law. We won’t allow that.”
The leaders had appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to
reconsider the ban because many Okada riders from the northern region of the
country contribute significantly to the voting population of Lagos.
There was pandemonium on
Thursday as policemen and motorcycle riders clashed in the Iyana Iba, Alaba,
Agric, Barracks ends of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
It was gathered that the clash started after men of the
Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force)
and the Rapid Response Squad visited the areas to enforce the state traffic
law.
The operatives were said to have seized motorcycles along
the expressway and also issued a notice to occupants at the Alaba Rago Market
to vacate the premises.
Some of the motorcyclists, however, resisted the seizure of
their motorcycles, which led to a face-off between them and the security
agents.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin
Hundeyin, said over 200 motorcycles were impounded by the police during the
raid.
The Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State declined comments on the matter.
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