Sanwo-Olu arrests ‘soldier’ plying one-way

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday effected the arrest of an alleged Army officer who is an okada rider caught plying one-way along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Wale Ajetunmobi tweeted a viral video of the incident on X.

One of the offenders, a lance corporal in the Army who was arrested with his bike was seen telling Sanwo-Olu that he is an Army officer.

“Can you imagine this one telling me that he is an Army officer? Well, that is the more reason you will be locked up,” the Governor replied.

The Lagos State Government had in June 2023 reiterated that the ban on commercial motorcycles popularly called ‘okada’ in 10 Local Government Areas, (LGAs) and 15 Local Council Development Areas, (LCDAs) in the metropolis persists.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, declared this, while on a tour of some restricted areas within the state where large numbers of motorcyclists (okada riders) had resumed operations.

Giwa in a statement had reaffirmed the state government’s ban on okada in the local councils which include Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Mushin, Apapa, Ikeja and Lagos Island.

Other affected areas are Lagos Mainland, Surulere and Eti-Osa as well as the Local Council Development Areas under them which are Ojodu, Onigbongbo, Lagos Island East, Yaba and Coker Aguda.

Also included are Itire-Ikate, Eti-Osa West, Iru Victoria Island, Ikoyi-Obalende, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Isolo, Ejigbo, Bariga and Odi-Olowo with the Special Adviser urging both riders and passengers to keep off.

He also implored the general public to comply as both the riders and passengers are both liable to three years in prison if apprehended and prosecuted with their motorcycles impounded and crushed in the public view.

According to Giwa, this is in line with the provision of Section 46, sub-section 1, 2 & 3 of the Transport Sector Reform Law (TSRL), 2018.