The Edo State Government has expressed concern over rising cases of robbery, kidnapping and other crimes allegedly involving commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as Okada, in the state. The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, raised the alarm during a media parley organised by the ministry. Afegbua said the government was planning to constitute a task force to tackle the menace. He said the task force would regulate Okada operations and improve security across the state. “Criminals use motorcycles to carry their passengers and take them to dark spots. Before you say jack, they would bring out knives and all that, and dispossess passengers of their belongings,” he said. He said the state government had received several reports of such incidents, warning that commercial motorcycle operations remained banned within the capital city. “We know that Okada operation was banned during the administration of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and it still remains banned in the city,” he said. Afegbua warned that anyone caught operating a commercial motorcycle in the city would be arrested.
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