LG threatens ban on commercial cyclists over crime
NAN-DS-10
Cyclists
By Sunday Bassey
Eket (Akwa Ibom), Jan. 18, 2018 (NAN) The Eket Local Government in Akwa Ibom has threatened to, after three months, ban operation of commercial motorcyclists if the current high rate of crime persists in the area.
The Chairman of the local government, Mr Frank Archibong, issued the threat during a meeting with commercial motor cyclists in Eket on Thursday.
Archibong vowed to fish out those who hid under the guise of commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as “Okada”, to perpetrate nefarious acts in the area.
He gave the operators three months to work assiduously with security operatives to sanitise their membership or be banned.
“We must know who the true commercial motorcycle operators are, so that we will be able to distinguish between those who perpetrate crime in the guise of the operators and those who are doing genuine business,” Archibong said.
He lamented over the increasing crime rate in the area, saying that as the chief security officer, he had zero tolerance for criminality.
The chairman said that commercial motorcyclists were suspected to be involved in about 90 per cent of crime in the area, saying it was time to get to the root of the matter.
He expressed regret over the recent killing of a National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) member by suspected armed robbers riding on a motor bike in an attempt to snatch his cell phone.
“It is unfortunate that snatching of phones is becoming an everyday occurrence in the local government.
“So many people are hospitalised because of injuries inflicted on them by these criminals riding on motorcycles,” he said.
The Police Divisional Police Officer in charge of Eket, Mr Zuara Bello, emphasised the need for community policing as security was everybody’s business.
He called on the “real commercial motorcyclists” to provide useful information to the police on the operation of criminals in the area. (NAN)
SDB/ABI/AMY
Edited by Ali Inuwa/Abdullahi Yusuf