TheCable

The Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) has warned the federal government against banning motorcycles, popularly known as okada. 

Last week, the federal government said it was considering a nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles in a bid to stem the rising insecurity across the country.

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, had said placing a ban on the use of motorcycles will “cut the supply of logistics to the terrorists”, adding that it will be “done in the national interest”.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja, Samsudeen Apelogun, ACOMORAN national president, said aside from enhancing mobility for Nigerians, commercial motorcycle is a source of livelihood for 40 million people.

According to Apeligun, a ban on commercial motocycles without providing jobs for those who would be affected, will fuel crime in the country.

“Let me put it on record that from experience, 95 percent of those you see riding motorcycles are doing it because they don’t have better options but they don’t want to take to crime,” he said.

“If 10 million of these 40 million people they plan to render jobless take to crime, can the government contain them? If you attribute the movement of terrorists to motorcycles, don’t criminals operate with vehicles? When terrorists regrettably attacked Kuje prison, was it the motorcycle riders that caused the failure of intelligence gathering?

“If they rode motorcycles there, how were they able to beat all the security checkpoints to get to such a fortified facility? Was it motorcycles that made it possible for them to overpower the security agents attached to the facility? Are motorcycles also responsible for the late re-enforcement?”

The ACOMORAN national president added that crime will decrease if the federal government improves the business environment and standard of living in the country.