The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Abiodun Alabi, on Friday said that no fewer than 35 motorcyclists have been arrested and 195 motorcycles seized during the ongoing enforcement of the state government ban on motorcycle operations in the state.
Alabi said the command had commenced preparations to tackle motorcyclists who may want to move to other areas of the state to continue their operation.
Alibi said the command was only after foreigners operating as kada commercial motorcyclists in the state.
He said that the command was aware of some foreigners operating as motorcyclists in the state and that they were after them.
The CP spoke while parading 13 suspects allegedly involved in various crimes at the Lagos police command headquarters in Ikeja.
Many of the commercial motorcyclists operating in Lagos and some neighbouring states are Nigeriens, Togolese, Beninise and Chadians.
“We are aware that many commercial motorcyclists operating in Lagos are foreigners and we have commenced routine checks with the aim of profiling them.
“When we finish the profiling, we will hand them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and possible repatriation.
“We are going to carry out the old strategy by ensuring that no motorcycle comes into the state. We will seize any motorcycle found in any vehicle coming into Lagos,” he said.
The police commissioner had on Thursday, advised that people should stop giving out motorcycles as means of empowerment, but adopt other meaningful venture.
He noted that the ban was in phases, adding that strategic measures were being developed to subdue any challenge that could arise from the implementation of the ban.
Speaking on the clash along the Lagos Badagry Expressway on Thursday, Alabi said, “During the operation, they (motorcyclists) were accosted when they became violent and mobilised their other colleagues to attack our police officers.
“When we got this information, we had to mobilise our tactical and operational commanders to reinforce our policemen on the ground and they (motorcyclists) were subdued. In the course of doing that, we arrested 35 suspects and impounded 195 motorcycles. Normalcy was restored immediately.”
”On the ban of the state government that will take effect from June 1 and as to people (motorcyclists) migrating from that side to other areas, all the area commanders and DPOs were there when the government met with us. All of us are aware of the backlash that could happen because of this ban but we are prepared for it.
“Any security challenges that could arise because of this ban in the local government areas, we are ready to contend with it. We have told them to put in place strategic measures on how to confront this holistically. We are envisaging that some people (motorcyclists) will migrate from those areas but this ban is in phases, and we are prepared for that and will confront the challenge if it arises.”