By Stanley Onyekwere
No fewer than twenty-three motorcycles, belonging to commercial motorcyclists otherwise known as Okada riders were yesterday confiscated by the officials of the Directorate Road Traffic Services (DRTS) of the FCT Administration, for allegedly violating traffic regulations in the nation’s capital city.
Also, DRTS enforcement team backed by joint security operatives apprehended eight Agberos (touts) for purportedly constituting nuisance to the motoring environment.
In particular, while the Motorcycles were impounded from Okada riders caught plying the busy Airport Road and the interchange connecting Games Village and Galadima; the arrest of the suspected touts took place at the busy Bannex Junction and bridge.
Explaining the exercise, Head, Operations Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Osho Deborah, reiterated that it is going to be a weekly affair, which the relevant authorities will not relent on doing.
Osho, said the essence of this operation is to rid the city of nuisances especially Okada menace, following a marching order from the FCT Minister- that Okada should be taken off the major roads of Abuja and the city centre.
According to her, “One of the major challenges arising from the operators of Okada in the city is that they are not no more traffic nuisance, but are become security threats to society.
“This is because, most of them are operating with knives and other dangerous weapons; and the moment they site us doing our job or innocent citizens they attack, rob and do all manner of criminal activities.
“That is the reason we said they are doing more criminal activities than riding Okada (motorcycles). We went round, and we were able to make arrest of some Okadas from the Airport Road, because it was a light operation, so we did not engage them much. But we are still going back to the road”.
She explained that the arrested touts (Agberos) around Bannex Junction, who had been attacking us and heating up the environment by inciting the public against their operations.
Similarly, Head, DRTS Taskteam, Adamu Shehu Maiwada, disclosed that all the motorcycles confiscated will be crushed, after obtaining forfeiture order from the court, in accordance with policy of the FCT Administration.
He however, urged both offenders and those who patronises them to desist from doing so, to avoid becoming victim of circumstance.
On his part, Secretary, FCT Command and Control Centre, Olumuji Peter, reiterated that they focused on traffic offenders, especially those people using illegal substances, who are in the habit of attacking the government officials and security agencies as well as innocent commuters within the environment.
“So far, we have been able to apprehend eight of them (touts) today, and handed them over to the NDLEA officials on our team”, Olumuji stated.
