Protest Rocks Abuja As Wike’s Men Crush 470 Motorcycles.

On Thursday, furious commercial motorcyclists in numerous parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fought and flung stones at members of a joint task force established by the FCT minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, in an attempt to prevent their seized motorcycles from being crushed.

The Joint Task Force, comprised of troops from the DRTS, Police, Civil Defence, DSS, and the military, repelled the demonstrators instantly with teargas canister shots.

To thoroughly demonstrate their control, the joint task force pursued the assailant further into Gosa community, ensuring that those unfortunate enough to be caught in the process returned home with bruises and swollen faces, or worse, ended up in clinics.

Over 470 motorcycles were detained in an operation that began at the popular Lugbe car wash bus stop and continued via Gosa, Bill Clinton Drive, Trademore Estate, Lugbe Junction, and the Kubwa and its environs.

Addressing journalists before the seized motorcycles were crushed at Area 1 round about, the Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, Nya Ubokutom, warned commercial motorcyclists to strictly limit their operations to the areas designated for them.

He added that the Administration’s goal of creating a smart city free of pollution cannot be realised if illegalities are permitted to pervade the Federal Capital City.

Abdulateef Bello, Director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, stated that commercial motorcyclists are not permitted to operate on any of the territory’s highways, saying that the administration is resolved to rid the whole FCT roads of okada operators.

He also warned that arresting passengers who patronise the activity would be one of the measures used to eliminate commercial motorcyclists from FCT highways.

The operation also saw instances where untargeted members of society became victims as a result of fear or accident.

Passengers were critically injured in some cases, and one was found practically unconscious after an escaping okada rider tossed him over the road at Lugbe junction.

Similarly, when the frightening joint task force team arrived to carry out their operation, food vendors and passers-by ran to their heels at Galadimawa roundabout.