Kaduna residents await lifting of motorcycle ban as deadline elapses

Three months after the Kaduna State government banned the use of commercial and personal motorcycles as part of security measures to check banditry in the state, residents have expressed excitement as the three months ban would elapse today.

Daily Trust reports that the state government is yet to announce the lifting of the ban but residents who spoke with our correspondent Wednesday said they were confident the ban would be lifted.

• Stop the killings of traditional rulers in Imo
• Things you need to know about Jose Peseiro, Super Eagles manager

The state government had on September 29 announced security measures that included a three-month shutdown of telecommunication in parts of the state as well as a complete ban on motorcycles for commercial and personal purposes. Tricycle operations in the state were only allowed between 6am and 7pm.

However, on November 26, the state government lifted the telecommunication ban when commuters could not call for help during consistent attacks on the Kaduna-Abuja Highway by bandits.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Ibrahim Badamasi, who said he had parked his motorcycle at home in the last three months, added that he was anxious for the government to lift the ban.

“The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the ban would last only three months and we hope he will announce a lift of the ban now that the three months have elapsed,” he said.

“The last three months have been difficult for me and my family because we’ve had to sometimes walk for hours due to the ban and a limited number of commercial vehicles and tricycles. We hope the state government will not extend it,” said Khalil Ibrahim, a teacher with the state government.

Also speaking with our correspondent, a motorcycle operator, Yohanna Lyop, said whether the ban is lifted or not, motorcycle operators would return to the streets because the state government made it clear that the ban was for only three months.

“There is no need to wait or expect any announcement from the government. They assured us that the ban would last for three months and now that it has elapsed, that automatically means we are allowed to return to the streets,” he said.