Protesting commercial motorcyclists on Thursday blocked the Alaba Rago axis of the Badagry Expressway following the clampdown on errant operators by operatives of the Lagos Police Command.
Policemen from Area E Command and Taskforce on enforcement duty had impounded over 200 motorcycles for allegedly flouting the state traffic laws; a development that to the protest.
The police had renewed their clampdown on motorcycles following last week’s cold blood murder of a sound engineer, David Imoh, by a mob consisting cyclists at the Lekki area of Lagos.
The lynching and burning of Imoh attracted widespread condemnation which led the State Government to review the restriction placed on motorcycles on major highways and some city routes.
In spite of the outright ban by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in six Local Government Areas (LGAs) and their LCDAs, some of the motorcyclists continued their business as usual, including riding on major highways against traffic.
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It was gathered that policemen, who have been on special alert against recalcitrant commercial motorcycles across the State caught some of them in the act and immediately impounded their cycles.
According to a resident, news about the clampdown soon got to other of the motorcyclists’ colleagues around Onireke who started protesting.
The aggrieved riders, the source said, claimed that where they operated were not among the banned routes.
He said they lamented that the police were in the habit of seizing their bikes and demanding huge money to release them, adding that those could not afford the demanded sum would have their bikes crushed.
Meanwhile, police spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said calm had since returned to the axis.
He said the joint police team impounded over 200 bikes and arrested some suspect
The State Government has also issued a 14-day quit notice to traders at the popular Alabo Rago market to enable its remodeling.
