Recent media reports affirmed that the Lagos Police Command confiscated over 70 commercial motorcycles across the state. The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit also reportedly arrested some suspects in the Oshodi area of the state for extorting motorists.
These are just few reported laudable feats credited to the police command, ably led by Hakeem Olusegun Odumosu.
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Lagos is considered as the commercial hub of Nigeria and West Africa at large. It is therefore not in doubt that it deserves special and best security arrangement. It equally deserves a police command that must consistently deliver excellent results. The state further deserves a police command that must not leave any space for errant commercial motorcyclists and motorists to turn the city into a jungle.
Regrettably, in recent times, the citizens have been witnessing chaotic and very disturbing signals from the police in the state. Reported clashes between police and commercial motorcycle riders, popularly called Okada, at Second Rainbow along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, left several people injured. Some days later, the same ugly scenario reportedly played out along Agege Motor Road.
Consequently, ordinary citizens are left to bear the brunt.
Several media reports showed that the deplorable part of the road, connecting the popular Aswani Market to Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, respectively, has turned into a mobile fine-collection point for some police officers.
From the foregoing, the Odumosu-led Lagos Police Command kept raising more hard-to-answer-questions. Who, between the police command and errant commercial motorcyclists as well as motorists, actually constitutes a major nuisance in Lagos? How can policemen, preferring one-way driving, morally justify the arrest of those plying unconventional routes in Lagos? Will the police, under Odumosu, attract appreciable public goodwill when some of its operatives are operating and clearly enriching themselves through un-established routes?
Meanwhile, Odumosu, while announcing the confiscation of the commercial motorcycles, reportedly, affirmed that his steps were aimed at restoring sanity and safety to the state. He also declared that the raids will continue as long as some of the riders consistently flout established rules. It is however certain that Odumosu will not be satisfied heading a police command whose activities would be fuelling public mistrust. It is certain that he will not like to witness the resurrection of activities that fuelled the rested #EndSARS and other protests in Lagos and other parts of the country. He and his men, therefore, must consistently engage and effectively educate Lagosians about what constitutes traffic rights and abuses. He and his men must embrace public engagement strategies that deliver win-win results.
Media monitoring should equally be topmost priority, considering the high volume of conversations and prevalence of fake news across platforms. Odumosu and his men can join in the conversations and respond swiftly to even unexpected developments.
Sunday Odiaka, a media practitioner, wrote from Lagos
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