Okada Ban: Man lament as Lagos police impound scooter bike
By Samuel Omotere
A Lagos resident, Okikiola Adesina has lamented the alleged oppression by operatives of the Lagos Police Command, after his private motorcycle was impounded at Isheri division station in the Isheri Olowora, Berger Area of the state.
It was gathered on Wednesday that Adesina’s motorcycle, a white 125cc Yamaha Cygnus with registration number FXD 13QP, was seized at mid-last month on a local road where he went to meet his mechanic.
Adesina said, ”Some men of the police double-crossed me and took my bike. I have been living in this area since 2022. I asked them what my offence was, and they told me I broke a law. They said Lagos State banned motorcycles below 200cc. I told them that I was not on the highway, I was on a residential road.”
The next day, he visited the police station with his motorcycle’s documents, and a female officer at the counter referred him to the Station Officer (SO) , but he refused to have any conversation concerning the bike. He said the SO told him he was not responsible for the operation.
“The SO asked for the cc of the motorcycle so I answered, then he replied that Lagos State has banned it. I was not aware of the recent development, and motorcycles with this cc are common in local roads in the state and people use it to commute. He said he cannot help me.”
According to him, another officer told him he will spend money (Bribe) to retrieve his bike afterwards, but he protested that he did not breach any traffic law.
“I went to the station the second day but the female officer I met at the counter the previous day was not around because I had the intent of begging her to talk to the SO for me.
“I returned to the station the next day and was told that my bike was ‘gone’, and it was no longer in their premises. All these happened in the space of three days.”
Adesina said the officers informed him that his motorcycle has been transferred to the Lagos Taskforce at Alausa, and he was shown photos of 4 motorcycles including his bike, that were moved.
“I was told the motorcycles were transferred to Lagos Taskforce at Alausa, so when I got there, I was told they do not bring confiscated bikes to their office. They said any issue of bike is taken to Bolade Oshodi. That week, I went to Taskforce Oshodi, and I was told that I cannot check my motorcycle in their store.
“I was told to go and see the Lagos Taskforce Chairman because he is the only one that can approve me to check my bike in their store. I went to their office with my mom under the rain, we waited for like four hours, but I was not able to speak to anyone.”
Adesina said he suspects the police officers had sold his motorcycle because they were too quick to act. He cried out that he has been cheated by the Nigeria Police Force, because he was just a citizen that use the bike as a means of transportation.
When contacted, the Lagos Taskforce Spokesperson,Abdulraheem Gbadeyan clarified that the sister agencies are two different bodies and only the police can help the victim track his motorcycle.
“He should go the station to complain, or he should go to Command. That is the best way to complain, and I think the Lagos Police PRO is the best person to contact.
“If he is looking for his bike, there is a way he can trace it, why must he now talk about Taskforce. Did we seize any bike from him? There is no way you can drag Taskforce into this, we are not under any police station,” Gbadeyan said.
Effort to contact the Lagos Police Command Spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, was proved abortive as he did not respond to calls and texts as of the time of filing this report.
