Okada ban: Snatching of money from bank customers reduced – Manko

If there is any set of people celebrating the restriction of commercial bike riders, otherwise known as okada riders, in Lagos State, it us probably the police and those in the banking sector.
The state Commissioner of Police, Prince Umar Manko, revealed that since the restriction, the number of bank customers whose money were snatched as they leave the banking hall and premises had reduced drastically.
The state government for long had been discussing the restriction, but in July 2012, the restriction was fully implemented and executed.
And according to 2012 statistics made available by the police command, in July there were about 18 robbery incidents.
Among those robberies, commercial motorbikes were used in seven of them.
In August, 12 robbery cases were officially reported and motorbikes were used in 10.
And as the months continued, the number of motorbikes used in robberies got down to nil.
In December, there were five robbery incidents, but none involved the use of motorbikes.
The grand total of robberies was put at 52, with 22 involving operations in which robbers used motorbikes to rob.
Manko said: “Though we still have some isolated cases of people using motorbikes to commit robbery, but generally speaking I think the security situation in the state has improved greatly.
“Most of them formerly used them for committing robberies on the highways.
“In the past, they also waited for people to come out of banks, so that they would snatch their money, but since they’ve been restricted, security has improved.
“Everything has changed.
“The state government has also provided us with lots of motorcycles to patrol round the metropolis.
“You see men of Rapid Response Squad on some of these motorcycles, patrolling around the city.”
Manko also revealed that a Task Force has been set up to tackle the issue of uniformed men, including policemen, who flout the state government’s order against riding motorbikes in areas that they ought not to.
He said he was not unaware that some criminally minded individuals could impersonate uniformed personnel in order to get away with the commission of the crime of riding motorbikes in restricted areas.
He said: “We already have a Task Force of the Command, which is directly responsible for taking care of this menace of uniform services.
“They are to ensure that anybody or any person who uses uniform and is not a uniform man to ride motorcycle is impounded.
“The Task Force has started working and we are achieving results.
“If a policeman is arrested in restricted areas, he loses the motorcycle.
“He will be put on trial and he faces the law.
“We’ve also asked our other colleagues in the other services to warn their men and let them know that they are affected too.
“I’ve been arresting them too.
“I remember that while I was trying to arrest one around Police College, he tried to run away.
“He ran into a ditch and broke his leg.
“I asked that he be taken him to the hospital while his motorcycle was taken to Alausa.”
Between January and December 2012, 533 robbers were arrested and 146 died during encounters with the police.
In July, the month motorbikes restriction started, 56 robbers were arrested, while eight were killed.
In November, 28 were arrested, while 22 were killed.
In December, 39 were arrested and nine killed.
Manko strongly believes that the situation can only get better, adding that by the end of 2013, robbery records will not be same as it was in 2012.
With confidence and determination ringing in his voice, he enthused: “I’m very sure that by the time we will be having this sort of conversation again by the end of this year, we would not have up to this number of robbers, either in operation or arrested because most of them were arrested on motorcycles.
“So with that one out of the way now, coupled with the fact that we are more determined now than ever to ensure that crime is brought to the barest minimum, I don’t think we would have up to this figure.”