Officials of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences have impounded 30 motorcycles in the Iju-Ishaga area of the state.
The task force also dislodged traders selling their wares at the Computer Village, Ikeja in a bid to stop street trading. It arrested four of the traders.
The task force officials had on Monday swooped on commercial motorcycle riders plying the Iju-Ishaga Road, which is said to be a restricted route.
The officials chased the okada riders and impounded their motorcycles.
It was learnt that the okada riders abandoned their bikes and took to their heels to avoid being arrested and prosecuted.
The task force Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, said residents of the area had been complaining that okada riders were plying prohibited routes and obstructing traffic in the area.
He said, “The task force wanted people to know that it had not relented in its enforcement activities, as being speculated in some quarters. Any motorcyclist arrested, will be charged to court and their bikes forfeited to government.”
Sulaiman added that the task force visited Computer Village to dislodge traders peddling their wares on the streets and warned that the enforcement officials would continue to monitor activities in the area on a daily basis to ensure that traders were off the streets.
He said another raid on Monday evening revealed that many of the traders were back on the streets hawking their wares.
“The task force raided the village and arrested four traders while others fled,” he added.
According to Sulaiman, the task force will not relent in enforcing the ban on street trading. He said the four people arrested would be charged to court to serve as a deterrent to others.
He said, “We will ensure that the Computer Village is cleaned up and we don’t want trading on the streets at the village. We are warning them that if any of them comes to the road again to sell, we will seize their goods.
“A lot of people believe that we have relaxed in enforcement; but we have not. We will ensure that places like Oshodi and Obalende- that have been cleared of street trading and street urchins- are well policed so that the traders and area boys do not come back to turn these places to nuisance.”
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