Sanwo-Olu bans Okada in Surulere, Lagos Island, Ikeja, 3 other LGAs

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, banned motorcycles and tricycles, popularly called Okada and Keke Napep, at six local governments in the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said this is the first phase of the exercise aimed at curbing insecurity in the state.

The six local governments affected by the bandits on commercial motorcyclists are Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Apapa.

Sanwo-Olu made the announcement while speaking with all Divisional Police Officers and Area Commanders across the state at the Lagos House, Ikeja. on Wednesday, May 18, 2022.

The governor, however, said the ban is “indefinite and total”.

The governor urged the Police Command and other security agencies to ensure the ban is enforced, adding that this is the first phase of the ban on Okada operations in Lagos.

According to him, “The whole of Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Apapa local governments have been placed on a total ban effective from the first of June. This is the first phase of banning that we are going to be embarking on, so that others should know… They should find something else to do.

“We are giving notice now, they should begin to plan their strategies. From June 1, we want all these Okadas to be completely off Lagos major roads.”

This is coming days after some motorcycle operators in the Lekki area of the state allegedly killed a sound engineer, David Imoh, and also set his body ablaze, on Thursday, May 12, 2022.

This is the second time the Lagos State Government would ban Okada operations in the six local governments.

In January 2020, Sanwo-Olu banned tricycle and motorbike operations in the areas, saying they were responsible for the increase in crime rate in the city.