Imported User:
The Plateau Police Command and the military Special Task Force (STF) on Monday denied suggestions that they have refused to enforce the state government’s ban on motorcycles.
The denial was made on Monday in Jos by the spokesmen of the respective security outfits while answering questions from a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Their denial was in response to the remarks of the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Edward Pwajok, who had accused the security agencies of refusing to enforce the ban.
The state government had imposed the ban on May 4 as part of the measures to address the security challenge facing the sate.
The government criticised the security agencies over what it termed their ``uncooperative attitude” in enforcing the ban on motorcycles in Jos and Bukuru metropolis.
``We (Plateau government) have imposed this ban on commercial motorcycle operations in Jos but the police and the soldiers maintaining peace in the state have refused to enforce it.
``It is clear that our governor is not in control of either the Police or the STF. We are indeed worried over this situation because we are looking at the security implications,” Pwajok said.
But the security agencies disagreed with Pwajok, stressing that they did not receive any directive to enforce the ban and have consequently dissociated themselves from the pronouncement.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the state Police Command, ASP Samuel Dabai, told NAN on Monday in Jos that the Police personnel had yet to be informed about enforcing the ban.
``I have said that we (Police) did not receive the directive by the state government to enforce the ban on ``okada” in Jos and Bukuru.
“We only heard it just like any other person heard it.
``As I am talking to you now, there has not been any official directive from the authority to the police personnel to enforce the ban on motorcycles in the metropolis,” Dabai said.
In its own statement, the STF also denied that it was refusing to enforce the ban.
The STF stated that it had not been directed to enforce the ``okada” ban.
The Media Officer of STF, Capt. Mdahyelya Markus, told NAN that the outfit could not enforce the ban because the soldiers had not been directed to carry out the enforcement action.
``We (STF) are not enforcing the ban on ``okada” because we are not aware and we are not part of it.
“We only heard that the state government has banned motorcycle operations but we have not been asked to enforce it,” Markus said.
He warned STF personnel against confiscating motorcycles, saying such action would be illegal since they had not been given the order to carry out the enforcement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on May 4, after an emergency meeting of the Executive Council , said that the ban on motorcycles was with ``immediate effect".
It also said that the law enforcement agencies were ``expected to comply with the law by checking the activities of those who might want to disregard it in any way.” (NAN)
