107 motorcycles impounded as FCT intensifies raid

As the recently-launched ‘Operation Raid’, an offensive against commercial motorcyclists intensifies, over 107 bikes have been impounded by operatives of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), the Nigerian Police Force, The Federal Road Safety Commission and other sister agencies under the auspices of the Joint Task Force (JTF).

Addressing journalists after the day’s exercise, Director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) wababta Bodinga said the operation was a joint exercise intended to sanitize Abuja and its environs of violators of the ban on commercial motorcyclists also known as Okada Riders in some parts of the nation’s capital where they have been restricted.

Wabata said it had been observed that despite the repeated warnings by the government, people have continued to operate commercial motorcycles in some parts of Abuja where a ban had been placed.

“The exercise is a joint operation aimed at cleaning the city of the menace of Okada and their operations in the City. As you are aware, Okada has been banned from operating within the city since 2005. But the operators are persistent and keep coming back into the city causing all sorts of nuisance which is not acceptable to this administration. As you saw today, we went around the city, from the federal secretariat to Galadimawa, Lokogoma, Asokoro, Gudu, Area 1, Area 3, Kubwa etc and back to the Federal Secretariate”.

“So far we have caught about 107 motorcycles and still counting because the first part of the operation has just finished and the second part is ongoing,” he said.

He added that the fate of the seized motorcycles will be decided after adequate procedures have been carried out.

Briefing newsmen earlier at the Eagle Square before the departure of the men of the various Forces, ESP Azeez Adowu, JTF Commander, FCT, assured that the operation would be carried out within the ambits of the law and with recourse to human right.

“The operation is mainly to extend our operation to the area of sanitizing the FCT and its environs of illegal operation of Okada and also tricycles around restricted routes where they have been banned but still operating as we have observed.

“Our efforts and strength will be focused on how to push these people back to where they come from. We have warned them more than five times but they have refused to listen.

“However, we will as much as possible operate within the ambits of the law. There is no operation we do without regard to human rights” Idowu said.