Lagos Taskforce Arrests 123 Suspected Hoodlums From Jigawa, Impounds 323 Okadas
Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Agency (Task Force) on Friday arrested 123 suspected hoodlums from Jigawa State and impounded 323 commercial motorcycles popularly called ‘okada’.
It was learnt that the suspects were conveyed into the state by a truck with registration no: Jigawa HJA-680XA which also conveyed 48 commercial motorcycles.
The truck, it was further gathered was impounded at Agege by officers of the agency after trailing the truck from Toll Gate end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Confirming their arrests, the Taskforce Chairman, Yinka Egbeyemi explained that the agency had since intensified its clampdown on Okada and has impounded no fewer than 323 in last five days.
Egbeyemi noted that all the affected people were from Jigawa, saying, 48 of them came into the state with their Okadas in search of greener pastures.
The chairman said that all the affected people were thoroughly searched, with no incriminating thing found on them.
“While our men were on patrol early this morning, they succeeded in arresting these 123 people, with 48 bikes. They said they were from Jigawa. Forty eight of them were with bikes, others were those who came for greener pasture,” he said.
Speaking further, Egbeyemi said the State Commissioner of Police, Zubair Muazu, had been informed of the development and had, therefore, set up a panel that who profile all the arrested people.
The Task Force boss, while noting that Lagos was free for anybody to come, warned that there was no point for anybody that had no business to do in the state to come in.
He also disclosed that the agency had 4,068 impounded Okada in its stores waiting for directive to crush them.
The chairman added that some of the commercial motorcycles especially those of 200cc were impounded for driving against traffic in the state.
One of the suspects, Shuaibu Haruna told journalists that they left Jigawa to seek greener pasture in the state.
Haruna added that lack of financial support to cater for his family forced him to leave Jigawa for Lagos where he was told opportunities were abound.
He said: “There is no tangible business one can do in Jigawa and I have a family that depends on me for survival. So I decided to leave for Lagos where I was told by my friends that opportunities are available”.
Haruna, who hinted that his major target to raise funds in Lagos was to become Okada rider, said N7,000 was paid to the truck driver for conveying them to Lagos.
