By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has crushed over 1,700 seized motorcycles in line with it ban on motorcycle ‘Okada’ operations in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The administration banned activities of motorcycle operators within the city centre in 2006.
Addressing journalists during the commencement of second phase of the exercise at Wuye on Wednesday, the Director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Dr Abdulateef Bello said crushing of the motorcycles would serve as deterrent to other stubborn ones.
He explained that the last exercise was carried out in December, 2021 where many others were destroyed.
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.
“The 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”
