Arewa Community  Backs Sanwo-Olu’s Ban Of Okada In Lagos 

The Arewa Community in Lagos state has expressed its support to the ban of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada in six local governments and nine local council development areas across the state by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. 

The group at its meeting on Sunday in Lagos state, stated that  the ban on Okada has been in force more than a decade  ago. 

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by its Secretary General, Alhaji Musa Saleh, said; “We resoved today unanimously that all our members must comply with the provisions of the laws of Lagos State. We are law abiding and we will always continue to intimate all our members to continue to be law abiding and operate only within the ambits of the law.”

The group also declared support for all the measures taken by the Lagos state government to ensure the security of live and property of Lagosians. 

Below is the full text of the communique.

COMMINIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE  EXTRA-ORDINARY MEETING OF THE LAGOS STATE AREWA COMMUNITY GENERAL ASSEMBLY , ON 22nd MAY, 2022

1. The restriction of Commercial Motorcycle ( Okada) operators in some Local Governments in Lagos State is not a new law. It has been in existence for over ten years. We resoved today unanimously that all our members must comply with the provisions of the laws of Lagos State. We are law abiding and we will always continue to intimate all our members to continue to be law abiding and operate only within the ambits of the law.  

2. We support all measures taken by the Lagos State Government in its efforts towards protecting life and property of  all Lagosians.    

3. We condemn in totality the activities of all criminal elements who are  mostly foreigners from Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon and other neighbouring countries who have infiltrated the ranks of those  genuine riders  and thereby  perpetrating all forms of crime in Lagos State, and are constituting  serious threats to the lives and property of Lagosians.   

4. We are calling on the Security Agencies to identify and arrest all those criminal elements masquerading as Okada riders.    

5. We also tasking the Nigeria Immigration Service to step up its actions along the border in checking the influx of those foreign elements coming into the Country without genuine intention.   

6. We are in total commitment and support to the administrative policies of the Lagos State Government towards getting rid of all security threats promoting peace and tranquility, safeguarding lives and property of Lagosians and the massive provision and development of infrastructural facilities for all Lagosians.

7. We are calling on all well-meaning Arewa Community members to comply with our common resolve and avoid the Local Governments of Apapa, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Eti-Osa and Ikeja.

8. We will work with the Lagos State Government and the Association of Arewa Okada Riders towards the  implementation of extant rules and documentation of all riders in all Local Governments of Lagos State. We must have adequate data on everyone. We call on the Lagos State Government to be vigilant and take proper punitive measures on bad eggs within the security agencies.

9. We thank the Lagos State Government for their support to our developmental programs and are calling on them to support our programs further. These programs include:

(i.) Registration, data generation and compliance monitoring. 

(ii) 2-wheels to 4-wheels upgrade program for the same costs.

Signed:

 Alhaji Musa Saleh,

Secretary General,

Lagos State Arewa Community (LASACOMM)