Frustrated commercial motorcyclists operating at Gosa, along Airport road, attacked and threw missiles at the team’s members in a last-ditch attempt to keep their motorcycles from being impounded by the overwhelming team of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Joint Task Force on Thursday.
This is as the team had just finished a massive raid on okada operators throughout the territory.
The okada operators were quickly repelled with tear gas canister fire after they quickly regrouped to attack the members of the joint task force, which was made up of personnel’s from the DRTS, Police, Civil Defence, DSS, and the Military.
To firmly establish their dominance, the joint task force further chased the assailant deep into Gosa community while ensuring that the unlucky ones who were caught in the process return to their homes with bruises and swollen faces or worsestill, end up in the clinics.
Over 470 motorcycles were impounded in an exercise that started from the popular car wash bus stop in Lugbe, combing through Gosa, Bill Clinton drive, Trademore Estate, Lugbe junction as well as the Kubwa and it’s environs.
The Secretary Transportation Secretariat, Nya Ubokutom while addressing newsmen before the seized motorcycles were crushed at Area 1 round about, warned commercial motorcyclists to strictly limit their operations to the areas designated for them.
He further explained that the Administration’s desire to develop a smart city devoid of all sorts of pollution cannot be achieved if illegalities are allowed to pervade the Federal Capital City.
Also, the Director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Dr Abdulateef Bello said apart from the City Centre, commercial motorcyclists are not allowed to operate on any of the territory’s highways stating that the administration is determined to rid the entire FCT roads of okada operators.
He, however, warned that one of the strategies to be deployed towards eliminating commercial motorcyclists from FCT roads is arresting passengers who patronise the business.
Similarly, food vendors and passer-bys took to their heels at Galadimawa round about on sightings the intimidating joint task force team as they arrived to carry out their operation.
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