Operatives of Lagos State Task Force with officials of Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), on Tuesday, have impounded 196 motorcycles, as the Task Force says it is set to prosecute 72 arrested riders at Lagos Mobile Court, Oshodi.
This was conveyed in a statement issued by Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Lagos State Task Force, Mr. Adebayo Sadiq, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Tuesday.
According to Sadiq, the enforcement operations were jointly carried out based on series of complaints from members of the public about criminal activities perpetrated by the motorcycle riders around 2nd Rainbow, FESTAC and Mile 2 areas.
The Task Force’s spokesman said stated how investigations, independent of the complainants, revealed that activities of the motorcycle riders had been on the increase as they terrorised innocent members of the public day and night, dispossessing them of their valuables such as phone, jewelries and bags.
The investigation, he said, further revealed that they were responsible for series of attacks on motorists caught up in traffic jam in night time especially around Mile 2 bridge moving towards FESTAC.
In the meantime, Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, Mr. Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), has advised motorcycle riders in Lagos State to properly screen out criminals amongst their members and educate screened ones to stop plying any of the restricted 475 routes which includes highways and bridges across the state.
Egbeyemi enjoined private owners and operators of power-bike (200cc above), particularly those owned by corporate bodies, to warn their dispatch riders to stop engaging in illegal commercial activities as anyone caught violating any section of the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws 2012 would be made to face the wrath of the law.
The police officer, however, confirmed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP EDGAL IMOHIMI had directed that all those arrested during the operations be immediately charged to court for prosecutions.
A resident who simply identified himself as Engr. Damilola Okanlawon said majority of the motorcycle riders plying restricted routes “could hardly speak and do not even understand simple English”.
He confirmed that many of them were from neighboring countries who migrated to Lagos without any legitimate means of livelihood other than using motorcycle to commit crime.
