Motorcycle Operators Drag LASG To Court Over Ban On Okada
The motorcycle riders under the umbrella of Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN), has instituted a legal action against the lagos state government over ban of motorcycles in some areas in the state.
The areas commercial motorcycles were banned include Lagos Island, Surulere, Etiosa, Ikeja, Apapa and Lagos Mainland.
The union approached the Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking declaration on ban on okada in the six local government areas and a few other places illegal and unconstitutional.
In the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/1016/2022, MTUN told the court to decline the proposed ban of the commercial motorcycles in Lagos State by the state governor.
The union also said that the government should not ban commercial vehicles without hearing from the people who’s rights were to be affected as specified in Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
The union also alleged that the ban In the business of commercial motorcyclists in Lagos was a violation of the rights of the motorists as enshrined in Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Section 33 opined that a citizen cannot be alive without food and other means of sustenance and whose income is the business of commercial motorcycle transportation.
Praying the court to grant an order compelling the government to create employment for the motorcycle riders in the state, the union appealed to the government to restrict motorcycle operations to major highways rather than banning okada business.
The applicants in the suit include Comrade Peter Umoh, Pastor Tony Onuoha, David Abiona, Adebayo Oluwasegun, Gambo Muhammed, Yakubu Abubakar, and Ayo Boluwade.
Others were Amaechi Peter, Nwamiri Monday, Abayomi Adegbite, Oluwaseyi Funmi, Mohammed Kadi, Abdullahi Jigla, Nora Usman, Pastor Emmanuel Donatus, Sanni Abubakar and Nwibo Sunday.
The defendants were Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN, and Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, Lagos State Task Force, Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Fredric.
The suit, however, was yet to be assigned as of press time.