Lagos Traffic Law: Call Your Over Zealous Men To Order – Lawmakers Tell Lagos CP

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police has been called upon by the state’s House of Assembly to rein in his men. This call is on the heels of reports that over-zealous officers have been engaging in indiscriminate arrest and brutalizing of apprehended commercial motorcyclists, popularly called “Okada riders” on the pretext of enforcing the state’s Traffic Law.

An Okada Rider Arrested By Fashola’s Security Aide For Riding Against Traffic On Herbert Macaulay Way,Yaba, Lagos Tuesday. Photo Courtesy Vanguard Newspaper

This was expressed under Matters of Urgent Public Importance during a Plenary Session by a member of the House, Mudashiru Obasa.

Citing a case of an Okada rider who was arrested in Agege for disobeying a section of the law, the lawmaker frowned at the way and manner Okada riders were being accosted by some over-zealous policemen who went beyond reasonable measures in carrying out their duty, even on authorised routes.

In his contribution to the debate, Oluyinka Ogundimu, cited a situation that occured on Monday morning, where an arrested Okada rider stripped himself to attract public sympathy and ultimately portrayed the state government in bad light over the Traffic Law.

The Speaker, however, advised the   Commissioner of Police to call his men to order, saying, “Okada is not banned in this state, but on some roads which we consider dangerous for Okada operations.”