.they were knockdown by another vehicle-PRO
By Olawale Abdul-Fatah
A yet to be identified commercial motorcycle operator popularly called Okada and a passenger were allegedly killed by officers of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Agency ( Task Force).
The tragedy occurred barely three days after the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at his 100-day celebration announced that plans have been concluded to introduce a new policy that determines Okada operations in the state.
It was gathered that the tragedy occurred at about 10 am when the Taskforce officers were enforcing the Road Traffic Law that bans Okada riders from plying over 400 major highways including Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.
An Okada rider, who identified himself as Muhammed Ibrahim, told Vanguard that the deceased and his passenger were trying to avoid been arrested by the Taskforce officers before the tragedy occurred.
Ibrahim explained that the Taskforce officers, in order to enforce the law, used their vehicle to hit from the side.
It was gathered that scores of Okada rider also sustained severe injuries during the enforcement that lasted for several hours.
.Okada riders revolt
Revolting against the act, Vanguard gathered that other Okada riders stormed the road and set up burn fire at the Ile-Zik end of the road.
At the time when Vanguard visited the Ile-Zik Bus stop, the act by the commercial motorcycle operators at the scene, forced some motorist to maneuver to other routes.
Taskforce PRO reacts
Head, Public Affairs Officer, Lagos Taskforce, Taofiq Adebayo, debunked the allegation, saying, the Taskforce officers were never responsible for the death recorded on the way.
He noted that they stormed the road after they were inundated with complains from motorists that the activities of Okada riders was responsible for the gridlock often experienced on the road.
“We were never responsible for the act. The story was that those affected were knocked down by another vehicle when they tried to maneuver on the road.
“Before then, they were riding against traffic. So when they heard that taskforce officer were at Ikeja Along enforcing the 2012 Road Traffic law, that banned their activities on over 400 roads in the state, the Okada rider tried to make a U-turn on the expressway forgetting that he was driving against traffic. It was during this process that another vehicle knocks them down”, Adebayo added.
He hinted that no fewer than 21 Okadas were impounded during the enforcement, saying, the enforcement is a continued exercise because they have been asked not to ply 475 routes in the state.
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