Lagos State Government yesterday said it is beginning full enforcement on commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as okada riders from plying the restricted 475 roads across the state.
In recent time, okada riders have taken over the state’s highway in flagrant disregard to the Road Traffic Law restricting them from plying major highways in the state.
For most parts of the second term tenure of the immediate governor of Lagos, Babatunde Fashola, okada riders were harassed and hounded on Lagos roads by policemen and all other law enforcement officers, including local council officials. But shortly before the 2015 general elections, like a beautiful bride, politicians, political parties and their affiliates were falling over themselves in a desperate attempt to secure the support and loyalty of commercial okada riders ahead of the elections.
In particular, the Support Group For Ambode (SGFA) ahead of the elections distributed a campaign leaflet tagged OKADALLOWED sticker, which read: “You can ride okada on 9,000 roads and stay off 475! Yes you can.”
