Lagos task force demolishes shanties, impounds 359 okadas

The Lagos State Taskforce has demolished some shanties erected along the rail tracks in the Fagba area.

It also impounded about 359 commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada.

Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, spokesman for the task force, said on Wednesday that the exercise was a follow up to the inauguration of the Red Line Rail project of the Lagos State Government.

He added, “The two-day operation, which was led by the Chairman of the unit, CSP Shola Jejeloye, covered areas like Fagba Rail Track, Iju-Ishaga, Abattoir and Pen Cinema, resulting in the confiscation of motorcycles that operated on restricted routes, state highways and bridges in those areas.”

Jejeloye said miscreants who loiter around the abattoir supported the okada operators in resisting arrest and causing mayhem to prevent the confiscation of the bikes but were subdued by the tactical and combatant superiority of the Lagos State Taskforce

“It was a complex operation seizing these bikes from their recalcitrant operators due to the presence of miscreants lurking around the abattoir. They threw stones and objects at us in order to thwart our effort but they were no match for our tactical superiority,” Jejeloye stated.

Jejeloye said the fight against the menace of okada “is ongoing in every nook and cranny of the state and no stone will be left unturned till that fight is won.

“We will keep going till every okada operator gets the message that Lagos highways and other restricted routes are no place for okada. If you want to operate okada, you either abide by the rules or risk having your bikes impounded”.