In a bid to sanitise the Federal Capital Territory, authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, on Wednesday, crushed over 1,700 motorcycles that were impounded for violating traffic rules and regulations in the nation’s capital.
The exercise which was carried out by the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, also known as the Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO, mostly affect commercial motorcycles seized for operating within unauthorized zones.
Recall that the administration had in 2006 banned the activities of commercial motorcycle within the city centre, as part of measures to curb their recklessness and also curtail criminal activities being carried out by some motorcycle operators.
The DRTS in December 2021 destroyed 1500 motorcycles in the first phase of the exercise. The vehicles were impounded for contravening law and regulations such as driving against the traffic within the Federal Capital City.
Addressing journalists during the commencement of the second phase of the exercise at Wuye, the Director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Dr Abdulateef Bello, said the crushing of the motorcycles would serve as deterrent to others.
Bello said, “The efforts of the enforcement of okada ban in FCT is yielding so much results. Today, We are starting with over 1,700 motorcycles, they were impounded from people that remain adamant operating within unauthorized areas.
“The DRTS task force always demonstrate substantial capacity to manage the enforcement but it would not be enough without the cooperation and support of the command and control established in the Federal Capital Territory Administration with the support of the joint security task force being managed by the FCT Police Command.
“So, today we are marking another beginning by performing the crushing” he said.
On his part, the FCT commissioner of police, Sunday Babaji who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hauwa Ibrahim said the reasons behind the impounding of motorcycles in Abuja, was as a result of criminal activities being conducted by some persons, using motorcycles.
“They use them in snatching of bags, bank robberies, attacks on residential areas and they were becoming security threat to the security of FCT, on that note there was outcry that led to the banning of motorcycles within the city in 2006 by the FCT Administration, since then we have been working together in impounding Okada”
The mandate Secretary FCT transportation secretariat, Usman Yahaya said despite the challenge of the motorcycle operators, the Secretariat would not be overwhelmed.
“The motorcycle operators are stubborn but we won’t relent in our efforts to stop them from operating in the city centre.”
Meanwhile, the arrest of 20 commercial motorcyclists on Tuesday, had caused panic in the Area 1/Durumi area, as the development led to protests by riders who took to the street to express their displeasure.
The Okada riders obstructed movement around the area and attacked VIO officers.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh, said normalcy has since been restored in the area.
Adeh, had in a statement explained that, “Today 26th July 2022, motorcycles numbering about 20 were arrested by Operatives of the Durumi Divisional Police Headquarters on an Enforcement round for violating the ban. The motorcycles were taken to the Division and subsequently handed over to the VIO for screening. Upon sighting the VIO at the Division, the errant motorcyclist in their number decided to obstruct the VIO from moving out of the station and started attacking the officers.
“The police swung into action, dispersing the violent motorcycles who took to the street to express their displeasure. No life was lost nor properties damaged. normalcy has since been restored.”