Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Agency (Task Force), Friday, arrested 123 suspected hoodlums of Jigawa State indigenes and impounded 323 commercial motorcycles popularly called “Okada”.

It was gathered that the suspects were conveyed into the State by a truck with registration no: Jigawa HJA-680XA which also conveyed 48 Okadas.

The truck, it was learned, was impounded at Agege by officers of the agency after trailing the truck from Toll Gate end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Confirming the arrest, Taskforce Chairman, Yinka Egbeyemi, further disclosed that the agency, since intensifying its clampdown on Okada has impounded no fewer than 323 in last five days.

Egbeyemi noted that all the affected people were from Jigawa, saying, 48 of them came into the state with their Okadas in search of greener pastures.

The chairman said that all the affected people were thoroughly searched, with no incriminating thing found on them.

“While our men were on patrol early this morning, they succeeded in arresting these 123 people, with 48 bikes. They said they were from Jigawa. Forty eight of them were with bikes, others were those who came for greener pasture,” he said.

Speaking further, Egbeyemi said the State Commissioner of Police, Zubair Muazu, had been informed of the development and had, therefore, set up a panel that who profile all the arrested people.

The Task Force boss, while noting that Lagos was free for anybody to come, warned that there was no point for anybody that had no bus to do in the state to come in.

To crush 4,068 Okadas

He, however, disclosed that the agency had 4,068 impounded Okada in its stores waiting for directive to crush them.

The chairman disclosed that some of the commercial motorcycles especially those of 200cc were impounded for driving against traffic in the state.

Why we came to Lagos-Suspect

One of the suspects, Shuaibu Haruna, disclosed that they left Jigawa to seek greener pasture in the state.

Haruna added that lack of financial support to cater for his family forced him to leave Jigawa for Lagos where he was told opportunities were abound.

He said: “There is no tangible business one can do in Jigawa and I have a family that depends on me for survival. So I decided to leave for Lagos where I was told by my friends that opportunities are available”.

Haruna, who hinted that his major target to raise funds in Lagos was to become Okada rider, said that N7,000 was paid to the truck driver for conveying them to Lagos. (Vanguard)

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