The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has crushed over 1,700 seized motorcycles in line with its ban in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
Addressing Journalists during the commencement of the second phase of the exercise at Wuye District, the Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, DRTS, Dr Abdulateef Bello said crushing of the motorcycles would serve as a deterrent to other stubborn ones.
He explained that the last exercise was carried out in December 2021 when many others were destroyed.
“The efforts of the enforcement of okada ban in FCT is yielding so much results. Today, We are starting with over 1,700 motorcycles, they were impounded from people that remain adamant operating within unauthorized areas.
“The DRTS task force always demonstrates a substantial capacity to manage the enforcement but it would not be enough without the cooperation and support of the command and control established in the Federal Capital Territory Administration with the support of the joint security task force being managed by the FCT Police Command.
“So, today we are marking another beginning by performing the crushing,” he said.
However, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah said: “Anyone who owns a motorcycle that cost 350,000 naira and they’re impounded, it’s enough pain for them. Taxi drivers with rickety vehicles, no headlight, no bumper, faulty break pad, it’s enough pain for them. Those who have rickety buses, it’s enough pain for them.
“We’re humans as well, when we take this from them, we believe we’ve taken so much and one thing fundamental about enforcement that we’ve all come to believe all of us, the best answer to sustain enforcement is more enforcement going forward.
“When you take somebody okada worth 350,000 naira you know for sure that you’ve taken something very heavy and you’re crushing it and the person goes back again to bring more, we will crush.
“And the appeal, most of these okadas are not owned by the riders. People actually give them on what they call balance and carry; they should desist from this because once we get them, they are gone and you don’t need to waste your money. And we’re ultimately going to take a tough decision on this” he said.
On his part, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Sunday Babaji who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hauwa Ibrahim said: “The reasons behind the impounding of motorcycles in Abuja, was as a result of criminal activities being conducted by some persons, using motorcycles.
“The use them in snatching of bags, bank robberies, attacks on residential areas and they were becoming a security threat to the security of FCT, on that note, there was the outcry that led to the banning of motorcycles within the city in 2006 by the FCT Administration, since then we have been working together in impounding Okada”
The mandate Secretary of FCT Transportation Secretariat, Usman Yahaya said despite the challenge of the motorcycle operators the Secretariat would not be overwhelmed.
“The motorcycle operators are stubborn but we won’t relent in our efforts to stop them from operating in the city centre.“
The administration banned activities of motorcycle operators within the city centre in 2006.
PIAK
