Lagos To Prosecute Soldiers, Policemen, Others Carrying Passengers On Motorcycles

The Lagos State Taskforce has warned that uniformed security personnel operating commercial motorcycles on restricted routes will face prosecution, as the agency intensifies its crackdown on illegal Okada operations across the state.

The taskforce chairman, CSP Adetayo Akerele, issued the warning during a meeting with uniformed personnel who visited his office to appeal for the release of their motorcycles impounded during recent enforcement operations.

“I am not wicked, but I am also not weak, and I do not want to be perceived as a weak leader,” Akerele stated.

“It is embarrassing to the State and the nation to see military, paramilitary, and police personnel using uniforms worn by distinguished veterans as immunity to evade arrest by operating commercial motorcycles, especially when they are expected to be combating criminal activities within their jurisdictions,” he concluded.

The chairman said law enforcement officers must not be seen as lawbreakers, noting that it reflects poorly on security agencies when uniformed personnel violate the very laws they are expected to enforce.

While acknowledging the need for security operatives to reach their duty posts on time, Akerele stressed that compliance with state traffic and environmental laws is non-negotiable.

“Whatever means you adopt to get to your duty posts must fall within the ambit of the law,” he explained.

“If you are properly dressed in your official uniform and not carrying passengers, your colleagues may exercise discretion to avoid arrest.”

He urged security personnel to adhere to professional best practices and desist from activities that could bring their respective commands into disrepute.

The taskforce has continued its clean-up enforcement operations across the state, targeting recalcitrant Okada operators on highways and newly constructed coastal roads.

Areas covered in the latest exercise include Ikoyi, Abraham Adesanya Junction, Ogombo, Coastal Road, Ajah, Falomo, and Marina.

According to the Director of Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, a total of 124 motorcycles were confiscated between Saturday, January 31, 2026, and the time of this report.

He said all confiscated motorcycles will be forfeited to the State Government through the courts in accordance with the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018.