The chairman of Okada Riders Association in Ekiti State, Mr Kunle Asaolu, has raised the alarm over the.incessant killing of commercial motorcyclists in the state.
This was as police in the state cautioned operators against working beyond ten in the night to reduce the ugly trend.
According to the chairman, twenty- three commercial motorcyclists have been killed and their motorcycles taken away within the last three months in Ado-Ekiti, capital of the state.
Asaolu made this known at the emergency meeting held with members of the association on Thursday, In Ado-Ekiti, to ensure safety and protection of members in the state.
Asaolu said the development has been happening since February 2024 and the recent killing happened on April 22. The perpetrators got their victims after they lured riders with high fares for short distances and far places
” In the last three months they have killed 23 okada riders and we are very sad about that. This was between February and April 2024. The last incident happened on April 22.
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“That was why we said we have to convey this meeting to let okada riders know what is going on.
” Early in the morning they will use bike to go and rob people and people will be saying they are okader riders, we know ourselves. We don’t want anything to tarnish the image of okader riders.
” We are concerned about them, because some will say as executives we didn’t bother, we believe an injury to one is an injury to all.
” They use money to entice okader riders, for places that are not even far they will offer to pay N3,000 or N5,000 instead of N400 or N500 and okada riders will jump at the offer not knowing that they are going to where they will lose their lives.
” We also gathered that they will lure okader riders to new sites where they will not find anybody to rescue them. They also perpetrate their evil in areas like Bashiri, Emirin, along Poly Road in Ado-Ekiti . Recently, an okader rider was killed early in the morning, his two passengers asked him to take them to a new site along Iworoko road, it was the hammer in their bag that they hit on his head.and went away with his bike
” We are telling okada riders to be careful, they should not place money above their lives. We pray God to reveal the perpetrators of this evil.”
A representative of the Police at the meeting, CSP Victor Akinsanya, said the high rate of killing of riders in the state capital called for concern, noting that all hands must be on the deck to fish out the perpetrators.
Akinsanya said henceforth, commercial motorcyclists would not be allowed to work after 10:00pm and advised operators to supply credible intelligence to security agencies to curb the menace.
The CSP also charged them to obey traffic rules, ensure registration of their motorcycles and desist from taking passengers to unknown locations.
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