Akwa Ibom vows not to reverse motorcycle ban in Uyo, Eket

Akwa Ibom State government has vowed not to rescind its ban on motorcycles in Uyo metropolis.

Governor Udom Emmanuel reiterated this during the fourth anniversary of his wife’s pet project, Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Programme (FEYReP), at Ibom Hall, yesterday.

According to the governor, most security reports point to hoodlums disguising as motorcyclists to perpetrate crime by swooping on unsuspecting members of the public, particularly ladies, whom they murder, kidnap, rape and dispossess of their valuables.

His words, “You can imagine waking up this morning to hear that motorcyclists are protesting along Stadium Road. What kind of protest are they doing? These are the people that kidnap innocent persons.

“I am banning motorcycle operation from today in Eket because the bulk of the crimes are traced to the riders.

“A lot of what Her Excellency talked about rape cases is traced to motorcycle riders. They carry those young ladies to unknown destinations, sometimes to a bush track, where they molest them.

“We have apprehended one of them, and I have spoken to the council chairman to ensure that he is prosecuted in the court of law.”

The governor recalled a story of a young lady that was gang-raped at a hide-out by criminals that used motorcycle, adding that the perpetrators had been apprehended and would be made to face the law.

He appealed to residents to alert law enforcement agents when in dangerous situations or see others being threatened.

“A lady who was raped here in Uyo cried for help, but neighbours did not assist her; they did not even report the incident to the police. Rather, they told their female children to avoid the man and stop moving along that street.

“These people have been doing this. They have built a house for it. What baffles me is that people watch them do this without reporting to the police or raise the alarm,” he lamented.

On the recent demonstration by commercial motorcyclists in Mbierebe community where Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) property was burnt and vehicles vandalised, the governor said that people involved themselves in actions not minding the implications.

He called on the police to handle the mob action, warning that restriction on operations of commercial motorcycles in some areas in Uyo was still in force.

Earlier, the initiator of FEYReP, Mrs. Martha Emmanuel, had appreciated the governor for supporting her pet project.