Lagos State Arewa Community (LASACOMM) has directed its members, made up of northern Nigerians, to comply with the ban of commercial motorcyclists popularly called Okada riders in the state.
The group issued the directive in a communiqué signed by its secretary general, Musa Saleh, at the end of an extra-ordinary meeting held on Sunday in Lagos.
The communiqué reads: “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 10 years. We resolved 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 on all our members to continue to be law abiding and operate only within the ambits of the law.
“We support all measures taken by the Lagos State Government in it’s efforts towards protecting life and prosperities of all residents.
“We condemn in totality the activities of all criminal elements who are mostly foreigners from Niger Republic, Chard, 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 properties of residents.
“…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, Etiosa and Ikeja.
“We will work with the 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.”
The state government announced the ban following the lynching of a sound engineer in Lekki on May 12 by Okada riders suspected to be northerners.
