…as 113 motorcycles appear to be missing
Juliana Francis
The Lagos State Police Command and the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Shola Jejeloye, appear to be at loggerheads over the number of motorcycles impounded in a single day at the Mile2, Apapa area of Lagos State.
While the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, said 245 motorcycles were impounded, Jejeloye, said it was 132 motorcycles.
If Hundeyin is right, and he has never been known to tell lies, it means 113 motorcycles have gone missing.
Hundeyin, who revealed on his Twitter handle that police impounded 245 motorcycles, said that the operation will continue, stressing, “We will not relent!”
He tweeted: “In continuation of our enforcement of the existing ban on the use of motorcycles in parts of Lagos State, our officers and men today carried out a massive raid around Mile 2 and Apapa Road. We impounded 245 motorcycles and arrested 7 riders. We will not relent!”
Jejeloye, speaking along the same vein, warned traffic offenders and recalcitrant cyclists who still operate on the State’s Highways and restricted routes to be aware.
The Director, of Press and Public Affairs, Lagos State Taskforce, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, in a statement, said that Jejeloye, “ made this statement during a raid of Mile 2 axis of Lagos where 132 commercial motorcycles were confiscated for operating illegally and constituting nuisance to the environment.”
Jejeloye stated that the recalcitrant cyclists who had returned to some parts of the Highways to carry on with the illegal activities believed the State Government had relaxed the ban on their operations but that is far from the truth.
He added: “The ban on the operations of okada on the Highways and restricted routes across the State is still very much in place and it is our duty to ensure that the law is upheld to the last.”
Jejeloye further stated that some of the cyclists around Cele Bus Stop had engaged some police officers who were enforcing the law on motorcycle operations sometime last week but were met with resistance from the cyclists, which led to the death of a Police inspector.
He added: “This is not the first time we are experiencing such violent reactions from these set of individuals who feel they can take laws into their hands. We have made a couple of arrests during this operation, and they will all be made to face the full wrath of the law. It will no longer be business as usual.”
He appealed to Lagosians who patronise cyclists to desist forthwith or risk jail term.
He stated that the laws governing the transport sector of the State had been put in place by the State Government to ensure the safety and security of all commuters.
He appealed to motorists who are in the habit of flouting traffic rules to turn over a new leaf or risk having their vehicles impounded.
He also said: “There will be more operations in the coming days to ensure that sanity is maintained on our roads and inner streets. I appeal to all motorists to be patient while on the road and ensure that every traffic rule obeyed is for the smooth and free flow of traffic across the State.”
