The Lagos State Government has announced that all seized commercial motorcycles will be processed through the courts for possible forfeiture in line with existing transport regulations, following renewed enforcement of the state’s motorcycle restrictions.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed that 65 commercial motorcycles were confiscated in Ikoyi during an enforcement exercise targeting restricted areas. He made this known in a post on X on Monday, stating that the operation was carried out by officials of the Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the state task force.
According to the commissioner, the exercise was aimed at improving public safety, maintaining order, and protecting lives within the Ikoyi axis. He said all motorcycles seized during the operation would be processed through the courts for possible forfeiture to the Lagos State Government, in line with applicable transport laws.
The latest action forms part of a sustained crackdown on commercial motorcycle operators plying restricted routes across the state. In January, the state government announced the confiscation of 70 commercial motorcycles during a routine clean-up operation on the Island axis.
In a statement posted on X at the time, Mr Osiyemi said the January operation commenced at about 9:30 a.m. and covered several restricted routes, including Falomo Underbridge, Marina, Coastal Road, Ajah Roundabout, Ogombo, Igboefon, Abraham Adesanya Junction, and Second Rainbow.
He said the exercise focused on enforcing the highway ban on commercial motorcycles, as well as addressing street trading, illegal parking, unapproved bus stops, and other activities disrupting public safety. According to him, the operation restored calm, order, and free traffic flow in the affected areas.
“All seized motorcycles will be forfeited to the state through the courts in line with the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018,” the commissioner said, adding that the ministry appreciated public cooperation in its efforts to keep Lagos safe and orderly.
The Lagos State Government banned the operation of motorcycles, popularly known as okada, and tricycles, known as keke, in several parts of the state following a policy decision announced in January 2020.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said at the time that the decision followed a “robust assessment” by the state government and the Lagos State Security Council, which raised concerns about safety and security.
According to Mr Omotosho, between 2016 and 2019, over 10,000 accidents involving motorcycles and tricycles were recorded in general hospitals alone, resulting in more than 600 deaths from reported cases. He said the figures did not include unreported incidents or cases handled by private hospitals.
He also said motorcycles and tricycles were increasingly being used as getaway vehicles by criminals, contributing to rising crime rates in the state.
The ban applies to major highways, bridges, and 15 local governments and local council development areas, including Eti-Osa, Ikoyi-Obalende, Victoria Island, Lagos Island, Ikeja, Surulere, Yaba, Apapa, and parts of the Lagos Mainland.
Despite criticism from operators and commuters who rely on motorcycles to navigate Lagos’ chronic traffic congestion, the state government has maintained that the policy is necessary to sanitise public roads and reduce traffic-related fatalities.
Enforcement of the ban has continued across restricted corridors, with authorities warning that violators risk seizure of their motorcycles and prosecution under the law.
