Government Agencies Clamp Down On Unlicensed Okada Operators

Federal and State agencies in the Northwest say they are taking measures to ensure that motorcycles without licenses do not ply highways in their states.

Responding to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey on the menace of non-licenced motorcycles, officers in charge of the agencies said apart from boosting the revenue generation capacity of states, ensuring that motorcycles were licensed was desirable considering the security challenges in those states.

Hafiz Mohammed, the Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaduna State Sector Command, said unlicensed motorcycles were not allowed to operate on any road in the country.

He stated that the Kaduna state government had set up a Joint Task Force in the three major towns of Kaduna, Kafanchan, and Zaria, to check unlicenced motorcycles.

He said motorcycles found not to have been registered would be confiscated, be released only when the needful had been done.

Alhaji Yusuf Haruna, Sector Commander, FRSC in Kebbi, said his Command was conducting routine sensitisation on the need for motorcycle owners to register same.

He said the enlightenment campaigns were being carried out in motor parks, mosques, churches, workplaces, and transport terminals.

Haruna said that the campaigns were being conducted alongside routine patrols, to apprehend riders of unlicensed motorcycles, just as culprits were fined N10,000 for not doing the needful.

On his part, the Executive Chairman of Kebbi State Board of Internal Revenue Services, Alhaji Iliyasu Arzika-Jega, said they had intensified effort at ensuring that motorcycles were registered to boost internally generated revenue.

Sector Commander of FRSC in Zamfara, Iro Danladi, said concerted efforts were being made to check the use of motorcycles that had not been licensed.

He told NAN that apart from the revenue accruable from registering motorcycles, there was the security aspect in view of the current security challenges in the state and the Northwest geopolitical zone in general.

Also, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Sokoto said it had been apprehending persons riding motorcycles that had not been registered.

Sector Commander in the state, Kaugama Kabo, told NAN that an average of 25 to 30 defaulters were being apprehended weekly.

Kabo however said that considering the population of motorcyclists in the state, there was a need for collaboration with NSCDC, Police, Sokoto Marshals, and the State Internal Revenue Service.

Mr. Ali Tanimu, Sector Commander of the FRSC in Katsina State, said the Corps was working in synergy with the Katsina Board of Internal Revenue Service to ensure that commercial and non-commercial motorcycle operators obtained licenses and other relevant documents.

He said the operators had been given up till June 1st, 2022, to comply or face the wrath of the law.

In Kano, the FRSC said it would commence special patrol to impound unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles in the state.

The Sector Commander, Zubairu Mato, who said the operation would be conducted from June 1 to August 31, explained that the command had been carrying out patrols periodically, aimed at arresting defaulters across the state.

“The enforcement is ongoing through normal and joint patrol with other security agencies like the Police, Civil Defence, and Kano Road Transport Agency,” he said.

Mato further explained that a robust public enlightenment campaign was ongoing to sensitise motorcyclists on the need to obtain licenses and number plates.

Mato said that the government had already banned the operation of commercial motorcycles within the metropolitan area for security reasons.