Okada riders protest “bail levy”, passengers trek

By Motolani AbdulGafar

With leaves attached to their motorcycles to signal compliance, commercial motorcyclists, locally known as okada have beeen riding through the  highway linking Isolo, Ejigbo and Ikotun areas since the early hours of Monday protesting what they described as exhorbitant  amount paid to retrieve their bikes from police officers.

Police officers are mandated to arrest commercial motorcyclists found riding in the 475 restricted routes in Lagos State in the government’s determination to crack down on traffic robbery and protect road users.

To demonstrate enforcement, each police station is expected to haul in not less than 50 erring motorcycles per week.

But the motorcyclists seem to have found mercy with some police officers who agree to release erring vehicles in exchange for inducement and keep them on the road.

The protest, which extended to Ikotun is being monitored by policemen stationed at various points in the axis such as Bucknor, Ailegun road, Ori Oke, Fashola bridge and more.

It was gathered that the tussle took place with respect to the high  rate of the  discharge fee when arrested by law enforcemnt officers.

To ensure total compliance of all riders, high spirited motorcyclists were seen halting colleague’s attempt to work while encouraging them to join the protest.

An aggrieved motorcyclist at the protest alleged that law enforcers  usually charge  offenders a sum of #25,000 to bail themselves not excluding the skyrocketing amount charged at junctions.

He disclosed that their aim of staging the protest is to notify  the government office at Alausa  as writing petitions has not been really effective for some years.