Lagos to go tough on motorcycle restriction

Lagos State government said weekend it would henceforth strictly enforce the extant laws in the state, especially those bordering on environmental offences and restriction of operation of commercial motorcycles, popularly called ‘Okada,’ from certain routes within the metropolis.

Rising from the monthly security council meeting, which involved heads of all security agencies in the state chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the government also warned residents against flouting the laws, saying there shall be no sacred cow.

Fatai Owoseni, the state commissioner of police, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said his command was set for total enforcement of the laws.

Owoseni urged the public to desist from patronising street traders and Okada riders in areas where their activities were disallowed by the law.

“The council appraised the security situation in the state and looked at the challenges we are still having, and from discussions and conclusions that were made, the council agreed that lot of progress had been made. We have covered lot of miles regarding security and safety in the state. For now, the state is relatively peaceful.

“We want to sustain that tempo; we want to improve on that tempo. We have looked at those areas we need to improve upon and basically those were the issues the council considered,” Owoseni said.

When asked what he was doing about the recent directive by Governor Ambode at the Town Hall Meeting Ikorodu, that Okada should not ply Mile 12-Ikorodu route, Owoseni said: “We deliberated on that and I can tell you that we specifically considered the need to improve on enforcement of the laws of the state, especially the areas where we have been having challenges with members of the public with regard to enforcement.”