The Lagos State Arewa Community has said the criminal commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders, in the state are mostly foreigners.
This is as the community condemned their criminality while urging its genuine members to comply with the ban placed on Okada by the Lagos State Government.
The Arewa Community also urged the Nigeria Immigration Service to man the borders properly to prevent their influx into the country.
This was contained in a communique signed by the Secretary General, Lagos State Arewa Community (LASACOMM), Alhaji Musa Saleh, after a meeting with the state government.
The communique read in part, “We condemn in totality the activities of all criminal elements who are mostly foreigners from Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon and other Neighbouring countries who have infiltrated the ranks of those genuine riders and thereby perpetrating all forms of crime in Lagos state and are constituting serious threats to the lives and properties of Lagosians.
“We are calling on the Security Agencies to identify and arrest all those criminal elements masquerading as Okada riders.
“We also tasking the Nigeria Immigration Service to step up its actions along the borderline in checking the influx of those foreign elements coming into the Country without genuine intention.
“We are in total commitment and support to the administrative policies of the Lagos State Government getting rid of all security threats promoting peace and tranquillity, safeguarding lives and properties of Lagos and the massive provision and development of infrastructures facilities for all Lagosians.
“We are calling on all well-meaning Arewa Community members to comply with our common resolve and avoid the Local Governments of Apapa, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Etiosa and Ikeja.
“We will work with the Lagos State Government and the Association of Arewa Okada Riders towards the implementation of extant rules and documentation of all riders in all Local Governments of Lagos State. We must have adequate data on everyone. We call on the Lagos State Government to be vigilant and take proper punitive measures on bad eggs within the security agencies
“We thank the Lagos State Government for their support to our developmental programs and are calling on them to support our programs further. These programs include:
(i.) Registration, data generation and compliance monitoring.
(ii) 2-wheels to 4-wheels upgrade program for the same costs.”
