Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, arrested a soldier and some commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as okada riders, for driving against traffic, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in the state.
The governor arrested the suspects while returning from Lagos State University, Ojo where he went to commission a project sponsored by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Sanwo-Olu, on sighting the traffic offenders, stopped his convoy and went after the riders. Due to the move by the governor’s team, the okada riders scampered away, with some of them leaving their motorcycles and passengers. But some of them were arrested by the governor’s team.
The apprehended military personnel told Sanwo-Olu security that he was a soldier. Upon hearing his remark, an infuriated Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “That’s the reason why I’m going to lock you up. Useless boy, you’re telling me you’re a soldier. Put him there; let your father come and rescue you. You’re telling me you are a soldier; that is the reason I am going to lock you up.”
Sanwo-Olu, while addressing a female passenger, said: “You people are the ones causing this. Maybe I should arrest two of you and put you in the guardroom.
“You are entering okada, and they are taking one way. Is it good? And they will now hit you; you will go and fall, and you die; they will say the government killed you.”
The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Wale Ajetunmobi, who shared videos on his Twitter handle, yesterday, said: “This morning: lawless Okada riders plying one-way, along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, left their motorcycles and passengers upon sighting the convoy of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. One of the offenders—a lance corporal in the Army—was arrested with his bike.”
One of the videos revealed the moment some motorcyclists drove away with their passengers to escape being arrested by the governor’s security officers. Some of them absconded on foot, abandoning their motorcycles and the passengers.