Just as authorities of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Command has remained silent on why it never carried raids on Motorcycles and Tricycles without plate numbers and vehicle licence as widely publicized for October, taskforce of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Agency (LASESSOA) on Tuesday impounded 134 commercial motorcycles for allegedly flouting traffic regulations in different areas of the state.
The Head of Public Affairs Unit of the State agency, Mr Taofik Adebayo said that the agency was compelled to embark on the clampdown due to the enormous complaints that reached the agency about the illegal activities of the motorcyclists.
According to him, majority of the motorcycles were seized while plying restricted routes along CMS, Marina, Apongbon and Yaba.
“The rate at which they ride carelessly, putting lives of motorists and pedestrians in danger has become worrisome.
“The clampdown will stretch down to all axis of Victoria Island, Ajah and Lekki to put a check to the illegal operations and plying of restricted routes on this axis,” he said.
It would be recalled that since August, FRSC had given national notice that it would begin nationwide raids with the Joint Tax Board (JTB) to flag off clampdown on tricycles and motorcycles without number plates and riders without class ‘A’ license on 2 October, 2019.
However, just as there were reports that the Commission had arrested over 1750 violators across other states since second October, the Commission failed to carry out the same clampdown in Lagos.
Whereas efforts to find out why FRSC avoided raids in Lagos failed, some of the Okada operators who spoke with our correspondents in Lagos said many of Okada operators in states where raids are ongoing have relocated to Lagos because there had been no report of such raids by the FRSC.
Okada operators further argued that carrying out such raids in Lagos may end up in serious crisis and possible breakdown of law and orders as many of the riders are northern youths who come to Lagos for safety and decided to be useful for themselves.
Many of the operators agreed that their vehicles has no number plates and vehicle licences. They revealed that due to the fact that many of them are mainly from northern states and not too good in English language, FRSC usually avoid any form of engagement with them on highways.
They also revealed further that even the Police hardly check on them on highways as many of them are their brothers.
One of the Okada riders (23), who introduced himself Haruna simply summed up everything saying “We don’t disturb ourselves with all these documentation including particulars, drivers’ licence or whatever because all law enforcement officials are either our brothers or usually have pity on us.
“In fact, some of us paste any paramilitary emblem or symbol or photo of two guns as our plate numbers and nobody asks us any question.
“My brothers at home told us that they are catching them and we told them that nobody is disturbing us here in Lagos”.
Latest release by Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer said the special clampdown intervention patrol recorded massive arrests of offenders in 18 states including Kaduna, Nasarawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Delta, Benue, Oyo, Niger, Kwara, Adamawa, Kogi, Zamfara, Anambra, Sokoto, Osun, Rivers , Kano and Ondo state, it was silent on what transpired in Lagos.
Statistics shows that Lagos currently hosts the highest number of tricycles and motorcycles without number plates and riders without class ‘A’ license, but checks across the state revealed that FRSC may have decided to avoid the clampdown in the state.
However, in his official breakdown of reports of arrests across states, Kazeem revealed that “The highest number of arrests was recorded in Kaduna state with a total of 430 arrests. Nasarawa state followed suit with a total of 219 arrests comprising of 15 tricycles and 204 motorcycles.
FRSC added that “In Benue state alone, a total of 147 arrests have been made, comprising of 140 motorcycles and 7 tricycles. Other are; Ondo 61, Anambra 41, Kebbi 51, Katsina 110, Delta 92, Zamfara 76, Oyo 178, Kogi 16, Mubi 10, Rivers 11, Kano 132, Niger 28, Osun 66 and Sokoto 10.
Business Hilights recalls that the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi stressed when the idea came up in August that “The essence of this operation is to enhance the security of lives and properties of road users. There have been series of reports of pervasive use of these categories of vehicles to perpetuate all manners of crime and we are saying enough is enough. All Tricycles and motorcycles must have an identity so that they can be easily traced”.
