The Okada riders say Fashola committed crimes against humanity

Commercial motorcyclists in Lagos, popularly known as okada riders, have said that they want Governor Babatunde Fashola to be tried for crimes against humanity.

The motorcyclists stated this at a press conference organized by the Joint action Front, JAF, Tuesday, in Lagos.

Abiodun Aremu, who spoke on behalf of the Okada riders, said that Mr. Fashola “must be tried for his crimes” when he leaves office.

“Part of the problem we have in this part of the world is that we lack in the sense of national memory,” said Mr. Aremu, Secretary of JAF.

“Because if we have the sense of national memory, criminal acts have no expiry date. And that is why even at the international level, people are tried years after they have left office for crimes they have committed,” Mr. Aremu added.

On December 10 and 19, JAF led six groups of Okada riders on a mass protest in the state.

On both occasions, police repressed the protests with threats of unleashing violence.

On the latter date, five members of JAF were arrested after the protest and detained for five hours.

While adding that they have invited the Human Rights Commission and the Amnesty International to carry out investigations, Mr. Aremu further said that many riders have been sent to their untimely graves due to the law.

“At the level of violations of human rights, the International Court for Justice has the right to take it up,” Mr. Aremu said. “More so, when the person being alleged is supposed to be a learned counsel; so that it serves as lessons and deterrence to others.”

‘A voluminous law’

At the Public Hearing for the Lagos Traffic Law at the Lagos House of Assembly, last year, a 23-page document was presented to the public.

The Okada riders said they were ‘shocked’ when Mr. Fashola signed a 78-page document into law.

“On the floor of the Lagos House of Assembly, a 23-page document was presented to us,” said Aliyu Wamba, State Chairman of ANACOWA.

“To our surprise, when the governor was signing the law, it was a very voluminous, bible-like document,” Mr. Wamba added.

Paul Ugo, State Chairman of Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria, called for another public hearing to review the controversial Schedule 2 which contains the list of the 475 banned roads.

“Right from now, many of our children are no longer going to school,” Mr. Ugo said.

“These people in government, they don’t know what the masses are going through. When someone wakes up in the morning, there is nothing for him to do,” he added.



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