RULAAC demands public hearing on Lagos okada ban, cites pattern of abuse in enforcement

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to convene a public hearing into the legal framework governing the ban on commercial motorcycles, known locally as Okada, and how the restrictions are being enforced across the state. This demand followed the unfolding drama between the Lagos State Taskforce and Objectv, with the latter accusing Taskforce officials of storming Agric Farm Estate in Ojo over alleged illegal operations. In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the civil society organisation said the move had become necessary given what it described as 'persistent controversies, allegations of abuses, recurring violent confrontations and conflicting accounts' between enforcement agencies, riders and communities. Nwanguma pointed to a recent flashpoint, an operation by the Lagos State Taskforce at Agric Farm Estate in Ojo, as the latest example of the tensions surrounding enforcement. The Lagos State Task Force on Sunday, in a press statement reacting to Objectv allegations, maintained that its raid followed community petitions and surveillance of riders allegedly using the area as a base to access banned routes. 'But other accounts have questioned whether officers seized motorcycles from private premises or streets outside the restricted zones,' Nwanguma noted. Nwanguma said RULAAC was not taking sides on that specific incident. His words: 'RULAAC does not propose to prejudge the competing claims surrounding that particular operation,' adding that the episode instead points to a deeper, unresolved problem requiring 'an independent, transparent and participatory review of both the law and its enforcement.' Also Read: The organisation said its own field research had documented complaints from riders and residents alike. On one side, allegations include indiscriminate seizure of motorcycles, enforcement in areas not covered by the ban, extortion to recover impounded bikes, inconsistent enforcement hours, dangerous high-speed pursuits, injuries to riders and passengers, and the use of civilians in raids. On the other side, Nwanguma acknowledged that communities have raised legitimate concerns about reckless riding, road obstruction, accidents, and the use of motorcycles in crime. At the same time, police have argued that motorcycles are sometimes used to facilitate robberies and that officers themselves have been attacked in some cases, fatally. 'These competing concerns demonstrate why the issue should no longer be treated simply as a contest between enforcement agencies and Okada riders,' Nwanguma said. Nwanguma urged lawmakers to bring together the Lagos State Government, the Ministry of Transportation, the Taskforce, LASTMA, the police, rider associations, Community Development Associations, transport unions, commuters, lawyers, academics, and rights groups to testify. Among the issues the RULAAC wants examined; the clarity of existing restrictions on prohibited highways and LGAs; whether enforcement is straying beyond those designated zones; the legality of seizure and forfeiture procedures; allegations of corruption and unofficial payments to recover motorcycles; the use of force, including pursuits and firearms; accountability for abuses on both sides; and the availability of public data on arrests, seizures, prosecutions and casualties. RULAAC also wants the hearing to weigh alternative regulatory models, including rider registration, biometric identification, designated operating zones and licensing schemes, as well as the economic toll of the ban on households that depend on Okada for income or last-mile transport. Nwanguma stressed that due process must not be a casualty of enforcement. 'Enforcement cannot legitimately become an opportunity for summary punishment, extortion or confiscation outside procedures established by law,' he said, while also condemning attacks on enforcement personnel by riders as equally unacceptable. Nwanguma further questioned the lack of publicly available data to judge whether the policy is working, saying residents deserve to know whether the ban has actually reduced motorcycle-related accidents and crime, and how seized motorcycles, prosecutions and disciplinary cases have been handled. 'Public policy should be evaluated on evidence, not assumptions,' the group said. He pressed for legal clarity on the scope of the ban itself, asking whether Lagos is operating 'a total prohibition of commercial motorcycles, or a restriction applicable to specified areas, highways and bridges,' and insisting that any shift in policy be debated openly rather than shaped through inconsistent enforcement on the ground. The human rights activist framed the Agric Farm Estate incident not as grounds for further recrimination but as a chance for the state to take stock. He said all sides, the Taskforce, communities, riders, commuters, police and independent experts, should have a platform to present evidence, describing this as what 'democratic oversight requires.' Nwanguma further added: 'The goal is not to vilify riders or undermine enforcement agencies, but to build 'a clearer, safer, more transparent and accountable regulatory system. Law enforcement derives legitimacy not merely from the existence of a law, but from its lawful, fair, transparent and accountable implementation.' [wpadcenter_ad id='745970' align='none']