The Federal Capital Territory Administration has intensified its campaign against activities of commercial motorcycle operators in parts of the territory, seizing over 75 motorcycles in the process.
This is coming barely days after a combine team of the FCTA seized 94 commercial motorcycles, popularly called okada, at Kubwa in Bwari area council.
At a renewed exercise at Dutse-Alhaji junction, Arab junction, Jahi and Kubwa phase 4, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah, said the enforcement followed a Ministerial directive to rid the city of commercial motorcycles.
He said the operation which would be sustained, became necessary following the unruly activities of okada in areas where they are not supposed to operate.
Attah explained that since the commencement of the exercise, the report filtering out of Kubwa in area of security, shows that 11 percent success had been recorded.
According to him, the menace of okada in the area was gradually coming to an end.
He said, “The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Bello, has given a clear directive to key officials of the administration particularly the Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services and other components to go out and mop up the commercial motorcycles from areas they are not supposed to operate.
“The areas are Jahi, Dutse-Alhaji junction and part of Kubwa stretch, the good news filtering out from Kubwa is that, crime wave is reduced, even if we had not done up to 11 per cent, there is success.
“The good thing is that the okada menace is brought to a halt. The unruly okada behaviour in those strategic areas is over, if you go there, you will think we have not done enough but we have done well, we will sustain it.”
The head, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, DRTS, operations, Mrs Deborah Osoh, said, “The operation is to rid the city of the menace of okada riders, and some areas that the minister has pronounced ban on them like Kubwa and Dutse-Alhaji. It is an ongoing operation; we will keep it up.”
On sustaining the operation, the DRTS said it is set at ending illegal activities of automobiles within the city.
