12th April, 2023
By Segun Giwa
A youth advocate in Ondo State, Mr Oluyemi Fasipe, has written to the State Government to look into the excesses and security threat posed by Okada riders in the state.
Fasipe stated this in an open letter to the Acting Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State and which was made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Akure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that On Monday, a mob, consisting mostly of Okada riders, stoned 35-year-old Tope Olorunfemi to death for allegedly crushing two people to death and injuring six others with his vehicle after ramming into about five commercial motorcycles along Ijoka Road by Sunday bus stop in Akure.
The mob set Mr Olorunfemi’s vehicle ablaze.
Fasipe said that it would not be the first time commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada would be attacking residents anytime there was an accident involving them and motorists, especially when the car user was a youth.
The advocate advised the state government to have a law that would give a definite jail term for manslaughter, to deter youths from being reckless with driving, adding that those involved in the act should be brought to book.
He added that youths in the state needed assurance that their lives and properties were safe by taking immediate actions that would curb the excesses of all the reckless commercial motorcyclists in the state.
“Your Excellency, it will not be wrong to conclude that okada riders in Ondo State are potent security threats to motorists, especially the youthful ones.
“This claim always manifests whenever an okada-motorist accident occurs in any part of Ondo State.
“On several occasions, instead of making efforts to save the life of accident victims, the okada riders would readily prefer to descend on the motorists.
“Regrettably, the preposterous mindset and perception of nearly all the commercial motorcyclists in Ondo State are that all the successful youths in Ondo State are ritualists.
“It was this same mindset that propelled the okada riders to brutally snuff life out of Tope Olorunfemi.
“Painfully, one of the okada riders was caught on video telling his fellow okada riders at the lynching scene that any young man that wears an outfit that is worth N150,000 must be a ritualist,” he said.
Fasipe said he, however, noted that the root causes of hatred between Okada riders and motorists in Ondo State were basically poverty and frustration.
“I will strongly advise that killers of late Tope Olorunfemi should all be fished out and diligently prosecuted to serve as deterrence to other bloodthirsty Okada riders in the Sunshine State.
“Also, the leadership of the okada union across Ondo State must be made to sign fresh undertakings that their members will no longer resort to mob action whenever an okada-motorist accident occurs in any part of the state,” he said.
Fasipe, however, sympathised with those that lost their lives in the incidents and also those injured.
(NAN)