The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the use of motorcycles (Okada) as a major means of transportation is not in the plan of Lagos State and should be banned.

He spoke at a public lecture organised by the United Action for Change in Lagos on Thursday.

It will be recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had banned the operations of motorcycle and tricycle in 15 Local Government Development Areas and Local Council Development Areas, including highways and major roads in the state.

The ban, however, has generated controversies and mixed reactions from residents of Lagos and other Nigerians.

Since the enforcement of the ban, residents complained of gridlock, hike in transportation fare and unavailability of vehicles to convey them to their destinations.

But Fashola said rather than reduce crime, motorcycles aid it.

During his eight-year tenure as the Lagos State Governor, Fashola also banned Okadas.

“If you are concerned about security you must support the present Lagos governor now on Okada ban. As the Center of Excellence, motorcycles should not be our choice of transport,” he added.

He also advised the Lagos State Government enforcement of the law, saying, “We are more focused on launch enforcement and increasing the numbers of policemen. Capacity development is great but security is more than law enforcement.”

While giving reasons for his support for Okada ban, Fashola narrated that he was once robbed in his home.

He said Okada riding also aided crisis and caused youths not to explore other productive ways of generating income.

He said, “Do we stand in reacting mode or proactive mode. If reacting, there is already a victim and a criminal. If we are proactive then how long can we sustain that?

“Motorcycles are a means of peddling drugs to children even under the watch of parents without knowing.

I’ve always held this position. Motorcycle has always been a conduit pipe for the opioid crisis among youths. We must act to eliminate anonymity.

“I was robbed in my home, in fact on my bed in 1999. Organised crime is dynamic, criminals are aware that people don’t keep money at home again, now they diversified into kidnapping people for ransom

The Nigerian Police on Thursday closed its case in the ongoing trial of a senator, Elisha Abbo, who was caught on camera assaulting a woman in Abuja.

The senator, who represents Adamawa North senatorial district, was arraigned at the Magistrate Court in Zuba, Abuja, after a video which showed him physically assaulting a lady, went viral.

Calls for Mr Abbo to be arrested and prosecuted intensified following this newspaper’s publication of the video.

Mr Abbo’s trial began on July 8 at the court where he was granted bail with a bond of N5 million.

The senator is facing a charge on two counts of criminal assault.

Trial

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, the police lawyer, James Idachaba, told the court, that he is closing his case against the defendant after calling two witnesses.

The two witnesses the police brought are the nominal complainant, Anyata Warmate and Mary Daniel, an assistant superintendent with the Nigerian Police, who investigated the case.

Responding, Mr Abbo’s lawyer, Isaac Adeniyi, said the police has not been able to establish a prima facie case against Mr Abbo.

After that, Mr Adeniyi, asked for an adjournment to enable them to file a no-case submission in the matter.

In a short ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Abdullahi Ilelah, adjourned the matter to March 12, for the adoption of a no-case submission that would be filed by the senator.

How the assault occurred

Mr Abbo, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had entered the shop at about 6:00 p.m. on May 11, a Saturday. The senator walked in with three young women to purchase adult sex toys.

But shortly after they began shopping for the toys, one of the three girls brought in by Mr Abbo started throwing up. She vomited multiple times, prompting the shopowner to remark that the woman should have vomited outside and not inside her shop, especially since she was not a child.

Mr Abbo, who was said to be agitated by the sudden illness of one of his girls, was said to have accused the shopowner of poisoning the store’s air conditioner.

The shopowner’s argument that if the air-conditioner had been contaminated, others in the shop would have also taken ill further angered Mr Abbo, and the two began exchanging words over the matter.

In the first five minutes of the 10-minute video obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Abbo was seen sitting on a generator near the entrance of the shop. He could be heard within this time making calls and asking some people where they were and how close they were.

Just before the end of the first half of the video, an armed police officer walked in.

Mr Abbo explained to the officer in Hausa that the woman insulted him and that he had called an assistant inspector-general (AIG) over the matter, who then assured him that he would call the police commissioner to call the Maitama Area Command. He also said he was disappointed in the shop-owner, with whom he said he had been friends for five years.

Mr Abbo, 41, said the police officer should take the shop-owner away. The shop-owner quickly called her father to inform him that Mr Abbo had called the police over the matter and that she was about to be taken away.

Mr Abbo asked the shop-owner to stop the call because he was talking to her, a demand the woman refused to accede to. Another man could be seen coming from behind the police officer to snatch the shopowner’s phone from her.

Next, the shopowner’s friend who had been standing nearby tried to intervene by pleading with the second man to take things easy.

“Oga, please take it easy now,” she said.

Mr Abbo swiftly descended on the shopowner’s friend, saying she was “very stupid” and slapping her repeatedly, including directly on the eyes.

The senator then demanded that the two women should be taken to the police station. He repeatedly told the shop-owner that he was disappointed in her for calling him a drunk and that he would “have harmed her more” and closed down the shop “but for their friendship”.

The assaulted woman, who is nursing a child, was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for eye inflammation and other injuries she sustained during the attack.

Mr Abbo had since apologised publicly for the assault.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the use of motorcycles (Okada) as a major means of transportation is not in the plan of Lagos State and should be banned.

He spoke at a public lecture organised by the United Action for Change in Lagos on Thursday.

It will be recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had banned the operations of motorcycle and tricycle in 15 Local Government Development Areas and Local Council Development Areas, including highways and major roads in the state.

The ban, however, has generated controversies and mixed reactions from residents of Lagos and other Nigerians.

Since the enforcement of the ban, residents complained of gridlock, hike in transportation fare and unavailability of vehicles to convey them to their destinations.

But Fashola said rather than reduce crime, motorcycles aid it.

During his eight-year tenure as the Lagos State Governor, Fashola also banned Okadas.

“If you are concerned about security you must support the present Lagos governor now on Okada ban. As the Center of Excellence, motorcycles should not be our choice of transport,” he added.

He also advised the Lagos State Government enforcement of the law, saying, “We are more focused on launch enforcement and increasing the numbers of policemen. Capacity development is great but security is more than law enforcement.”

While giving reasons for his support for Okada ban, Fashola narrated that he was once robbed in his home.

He said Okada riding also aided crisis and caused youths not to explore other productive ways of generating income.

He said, “Do we stand in reacting mode or proactive mode. If reacting, there is already a victim and a criminal. If we are proactive then how long can we sustain that?

“Motorcycles are a means of peddling drugs to children even under the watch of parents without knowing.

I’ve always held this position. Motorcycle has always been a conduit pipe for the opioid crisis among youths. We must act to eliminate anonymity.

“I was robbed in my home, in fact on my bed in 1999. Organised crime is dynamic, criminals are aware that people don’t keep money at home again, now they diversified into kidnapping people for ransom

The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Thursday, deregistered 74 political parties as preparations for the 2023 general elections gather momentum.

With the new decision, Nigeria now has 18 political parties, according to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a press conference in Abuja.

The successful parties are Accord Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance and Allied Peoples Movement.

Others are the Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressives Party, and Zenith Labour Party.

According to him, 75 parties didn’t satisfy the requirement but one went to court.

Mahmood also said the Booth Party, which registered after 2019, would continue to exist

“Nigeria now has 18 parties,” Mahmood stated.

Details later…

Communications and Digital Economy Minister Isa Pantami said that the 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) deductions on voice calls and text messages fell under the purview of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Pantami made the clarification in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Mrs Uwa Suleiman, and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

The statement noted that the ministry was not mandated to handle the issue

The Minister explained that the ministry was inundated with complaints and enquiries concerning the recent 7.5 per cent VAT deductions on voice calls and text messages, by some Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

“We also wish to notify the general public that contrary to opinion in some quarters, I had no prior consultation or awareness about this development,’’ he said.

He further advised that all enquiries and clarifications should henceforth be directed to FIRS, being the proper institution on VAT matters.

Pantami, however, assured that the interests of Nigerians would be protected in that aspect.

”We appreciate the support and efforts of well-meaning Nigerians who have sought clarifications in a civil manner,” he said.