10 Okada Riders Killed, Motorcycles Stolen In 2 Months, Panic Grips Nasarawa

Panic has gripped commercial motorcyclists in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, following the killing of 10 okada riders and snatching of their motorcycles in the last two months.

The chairman, National Association of Okada Riders, Lafia Branch, Uba Yahaya, who disclosed this, said he personally attended the burial of all the victims.

Yahaya said, “We have attended the funerals of ten people. All of them, their motorcycles were taken! All of them! They were killed.”

He said the security situation which had improved after the state government’s intervention had again deteriorated.

“People experienced some relief, didn’t they? But because people relaxed, now the problems have started increasing again,” he lamented.

According to him, the assailants now operate mostly at night, between Maghrib and Isha prayers, although some attacks occur in broad daylight.

He said the criminals disguise as passengers or mechanics and also use the jackets recently distributed to okada riders to deceive their victims.

Narrating how they operate, the chairman said, “A certain young man, just recently, had his motorcycle taken. That criminal was wearing the rider’s jacket, so he deceived that other guy. One sat behind the motorcycle, and the two deceivers were on the bike. That’s how they continued to beat him. In the end, he barely escaped, and they took the motorcycle and ran away.”

He alleged that a lone gunman in a flowing gown has been terrorising riders behind the Government House and has snatched no fewer than five motorcycles.

“He uses a gun; if he shows you the gun, if you don’t give him the bike, he’ll pull out the gun. Even during the day, he does this work by himself, all alone!” Yahaya said.

He added that some of his members who survived similar attacks are currently hospitalised with varying degrees of injuries.

Yahaya said the association was in full support of a return to the restriction on night operations to check the killings.

“We are doing the best we can. We are 100 per cent behind the government coming back to reduce the movement of these night travels,” he said.

Also speaking, a relative of one of the slain riders, Abduljalal Muhammad, said his younger brother, Yusuf Muhammad, was shot dead on Makurdi Road after he demanded his fare from a passenger.

“By God, he picked up a passenger, when you pick up someone and you bring him and demand your change, that’s when they shoot you. So, that is what happened to him as well.

“They hold a short gun, they just hold it, they point it at you while you’re waiting for your change, they shoot you whether on your head, or on your body, or wherever — that’s how they shot him,” he said.

Abduljalal said the corpse was recovered by brave youths in the area, adding that security operatives did not visit the scene.

He added that another of his relatives was shot in the same axis but survived.