Micheal Ofolue

Tough time awaits any okada man who deifies the restriction order placed on them, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami has warned.
Salami, who gave the warning at a parley with okada operators in Akure yesterday warned violators of the restriction from 6a.m. to 6p.m. of being arrested and their okada impounded.
He implored the okada operators that the police will enforce the order to the letters.
Salami who met them at the police officers mess said the spike in crime in the state necessitated the restriction order.
Preliminary investigation conducted so far, revealed that the perpetrators of armed robberies, shop breaking and stealing which were rampant in Akure were not perpetrated by genuine Okada riders, he observed.
According to him, the hoodlums perpetrating the heinous crimes were not genuine Okada operators but criminals who came from neighboring states and disguise as genuine Okada riders to carry out their dastard acts.
The police commissioner used the occasion to appeal to genuine okada riders in the state to assist the police with useful and necessary information that would help arrest the armed robbers recently terrorizing the state, adding that the job of effective crime prevention, detection and control is for everybody.
Salami, who said his men were on ground to arrest those flouting the order and directive of the state government warned that the law would be applied to defaulters.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties and Strategy, Dr Doyin Adebowale told members of Okada riders that the essence of the meeting was for them to know that the government’s decision was for peace and security of the state.
He explained that the government did not point accusing fingers at the genuine Okada operators, but that the government was interested in regulating their operations with a view to identifying those using motorbikes to perpetrate crime.
His words: ”What we are trying to do is to check crime and criminality in the state and we are all stakeholders in issues bordering on crime prevention and control.
”The government is not planning to stop Okada from operating in the state because we understand that some of you are doing a genuine work using it to feed your families.
The Senior Special Assistant on Security Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, urged the Okada riders to espose criminals among them by cooperating with security operatives to fight crimes and criminality.