Association inaugurates taskforce to arrest erring motorists

The Lagos State Branch of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has set up a taskforce to arrest members of the association driving against traffic in the state.

The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Musa Muhammed, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

He said the union had set up the taskforce to support the one put in place by the Lagos State Government to prevent commercial motorcyclists from operating on highways in the state.

“We are law-abiding citizens, we obey traffic rules and regulations and we want total compliance with Lagos State traffic laws.

“That is why we set up the taskforce to monitor and arrest any of our members or uniformed people, plying the expressway or disobeying traffic laws.”

According to him, the association is ready to support the State Government on any policy that will step up and advance the transport sector.

Also speaking to NAN, Mr Sulaiman Raji, Chairman of the Nagari Nakowa Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Lagos State, decried the inability of the government to arrest military officers riding motorcycles on highways.

Raji appealed to the government to take immediate action on the situation, saying that arresting civilians and leaving uniformed men to break the law was wrong.

He alleged that law enforcement officers had been plying restricted areas, including expressways with their motorcycles without being challenged by the government taskforce.

“We beg them to comply with traffic rules. The constitution says nobody is above the law; they should comply with the state’s traffic rules.

“Some of our members have received serious beating from these uniform men while trying to arrest them on the expressway.

“So, that is why we now established our own taskforce combined with the State Government to fight the menace,” he said.

A competent source in the Nigerian Army, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity on the issue, said that majority of the people riding motorcycles on expressway were dismissed military men.

He said that some of the officers had been dismissed from the force years back, but were impersonating as military men.

“Please, any time officers on bike want to argue with you or beat anybody on expressway, please kindly report to any nearby military barrack.

“We orientate our officers on daily basis on traffic laws and regulations and we are law-abiding citizens,” the source said.