Ben Adoga, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA on Wednesday crushed 476 impounded vehicles as they vowed not relent on its aggressive Okada ban enforcement, regardless of attacks against the taskforce team.
This was disclosed at Area 1, Garki by the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah during the crushing of the 476 bikes that were impounded from violators of the ban, within the Federal Capital City.
Attah expressed shock that after the repeated warnings through different means, and crushing over 1,000 impounded bikes some months ago, people were still taking unnecessary economic risk by bringing in droves commercial motorcycles to restricted areas.
While he confirmed that the taskforce was attacked by stone peddling mob during the enforcement exercise, he stated that the legal enforcement of laws cannot be dissuaded by acts of lawlessness and attacks of any kind.
” It is worrisome that despite all that we do on a daily basis, the activities of these commercial motorcyclists have been linked with criminal activities.
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” They ought not to operate within the Capital City, but here we have operating in total contraventions of what the law says in a modern city like Abuja.
” I thought that having crushed so many thousands of the illegal bikes, this menace would have reduced. If not that we crush them publicly, people would have been thinking that we sell them to ourselves.
” We are crushing them in full public glare and scrap is sold and the money paid into government’s account”, Attah said.
Also Speaking, the Director Directorate of Road Traffic Services ( DRTS) Dr. Abdulateef Bello, said the impounding and crushing of the bikes will be sustained, so long as the operators keep violating the restrictions.
Bello urged residents to help government in discouraging the lawlessness of these bike riders, stating that the restrictions are still valid, and that the administration would remain committed to zero tolerant to violation of extant rules.
“We want to inform the public that the joint task team will not rest in ensuring that the menace of commercial motorcycles were completely removed from the Capital City”, he added.
