Residents of Ajao Estate in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area have appealed to the Lagos State Government to include their community in the list of areas where commercial motorcycles (Okada) have been banned from plying.
The residents under the aegis of Ajao Estate Central Community Development Association staged a peaceful protest to the State Secretariat in Ikeja on Thursday to appeal to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ban commercial motorcycle operations in their community.
According to the Chairman of the association, Mr. Martins Adegboyega, who addressed State House Correspondents, the ban would forestall “security breach” in the neighbourhood.
He said that residents of the estate could no longer sleep well as a result of fear and insecurity arising from uncontrolled operations of commercial motorcyclists.
Adegboyega described the presence of Okada in their community as an unwarranted invasion, insisting the residents of Ajao Estate were no longer safe with the continuous operations of Okada in the community.
The chairman said that the residents of the estate unanimously agreed on the move and wanted Lagos Government to ban Okada operations in their neighbourhood.
The petition sent to the governor and signed by the residents’ Legal Adviser, Mr. Leo Ikeagwu, noted that the estate had been taken over by criminals in the guise of Okada riders.
Their activities had been banned in the estate since 2015 after they engaged the police in a fight. These criminal elements are back in our community in full force.
READ ALSO: It’s Official, Lagos Bans Motorcycles, Tricycles Effective Feb 1
“We have watched helplessly the influx of Okada riders, who, to our dismay, now block the entrance into Ajao Estate from Ejigbo, causing heavy traffic and security breaches.
“Bag snatching is now on the increase and pedestrians are now in fear.
“It is worthy to note that an eight-year-old boy was recently kidnapped by some criminal elements who used Okada to operate.
“But, for the quick intervention of some vigilant security guards, who blocked the entrance gate; it would have been a different story entirely,” the petition read.
It noted that the residents, in a meeting with the Local Government chairman and the House of Representatives member, agreed that Okada riders should not be allowed into Ajao Estate again to curb further criminal activities.
“We want to state that shuttle buses and Keke NAPEP are in place to convey passengers from the Airport Road to Ejigbo Link Bridge to and fro.
“Okada riders have no business whatsoever in Ajao Estate,” the petition further stated.
Recall that the state government has banned Motorcycles and Tricycles from plying on roads is some local government areas local council areas as well as highways and bridges in the state.
The ban takes effect from Saturday, February 1.
