Motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders, have lamented the loss of their livelihoods following the launch of a joint task force operation by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) aimed at ridding Abuja of beggars, scavengers, and other miscreants.
The task force, operating under the initiative tagged ‘Operation Sweep Abuja’, conducted raids along the Gwarimpa–Zuba Expressway, Dutse–Bwari Road, and the Kubwa axis, where a significant number of motorcycles were seized.
Okada riders serve as vital transport lifelines in areas where public transportation is limited, providing affordable and accessible mobility for thousands of residents. Concerned Nigerians are of the view that completely banning their operations in these areas risks not only increasing unemployment and hardship among vulnerable riders but may also potentially drive some into unlawful activities out of desperation.
They believe that a pragmatic solution would involve formalising and regulating Okada riding within designated suburban zones. As they suggest that such strategies could include mandatory licensing, safety training, use of helmets and reflective gear, speed limits, and clear operational guidelines to ensure public safety.
They believe that regular patrols and enforcement of these rules could keep the menace of reckless riding and criminal exploitation at bay, while preserving the riders’ livelihoods.
Allowing Okada riders to remain in the suburbs with well-enforced regulations strikes a middle ground, supporting the government’s security objectives without pushing hardworking citizens into poverty. It is a call for a humane policy that prioritises both safety and socio-economic realities on the ground.
One of the leaders of the Okada riders in Dutse, Abdullahi Musa, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that over 102 motorcycles were confiscated by the task force in a single day, Thursday alone.
Pointing at trucks loaded with seized motorcycles, Musa said, “look , they have taken more than 100 Okada from us today. We’ve been working peacefully here, and now they say we’re entering the main road. Government should help us because we don’t have any other work apart from Okada and farming.”
Recall that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) launched a major crackdown aimed at cleansing Abuja and its satellite towns of street beggars, scavengers, illegal traders, and other miscreants.
Senior special assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, stated that the operation is being carried out under the minister’s directive to rid the capital and surrounding areas of all forms of public nuisance, including the notorious “one chance” syndicate.
LEADERSHIP Sunday explains that “One chance,” is a form of robbery where criminals pose as commercial transport operators to lure and rob unsuspecting passengers, has recently become a growing menace across the FCT.
Olayinka explained that the move was in line with the Abuja Environmental Protection Act and other relevant laws.
According to him, “Our nation’s capital should be a secure symbol of pride and beauty, not a site for street beggars and scavengers, most of whom are agents of criminal elements.
“To achieve this, a Joint Task Force, comprising security agencies and relevant FCT Secretariats, Departments and Agencies, has been deployed to apprehend any persons found begging, scavenging, loitering or engaging in other acts inimical to the security and well-being of the residents.
“Arrangements have been made to profile them and hand them over to their various state governments.
Security of lives and property in the FCT is of paramount importance to the government; we must all join hands to achieve a safer Abuja,” Olayinka added.
Another Okada rider, who identified himself simply as Yusuf, said the task force confiscated his motorcycle, which was only a month old.
He explained that he had bought the bike after selling his entire harvest from the previous farming season. Now, he says, he is left with nothing.
“This is the only thing I use to earn money,” Yusuf said. “I sold all my maize, beans, and millet from last year’s farm to buy the motorcycle, and now they’ve taken it. I don’t even know what to do anymore.”
Mustapha Idris, a father of six said the recent clampdown on okada riders across Abuja’s suburbs has left many of them in distress, as most of those affected are part-time farmers who depend on commercial motorcycle operations as their primary source of daily income.
While acknowledging the importance of cleaning up the city and improving public safety, Idris, and other riders who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday at the Dutse, Dei-Dei, Kubwa and other affected axis pleaded with the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike for a regulated system that would allow them to continue operating within suburban areas but under strict conditions.
They said, some of our families are devastated , including our pregnant wives and hungry children. They now face uncertainty and hunger due to the seizure of our motorcycles.
Despite their ordeal, the okada riders voiced admiration for the rapid infrastructural developments taking place under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, particularly in the FCT.
They are however, appealing for compassion and a sustainable solution. “We appreciate the transformation we are seeing in Abuja under this government,” said one of the leaders, Malam Yudul Abdalab.
“But we beg the Minister to consider our situation. We are not criminals; we are farmers and family men trying to survive. Give us a license, give us rules, and we will follow them.”
His appeal was echoed by Thomas Bembi, who stressed that displacing thousands of riders without alternatives could push more young men into desperation.
Meanwhile, security expert Iyke Odife has warned that the ongoing seizures could backfire, cautioning that depriving people of their means of livelihood may push some into criminal activity rather than reduce it.
Odife stressed that taking away people’s means of livelihood is not an effective way to rid a city of miscreants; rather, such actions could unintentionally create more criminals.
LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that in a proactive response, security operatives were deployed on Friday to the Dutse, Kubwa, and Zuba axes following intelligence reports about a planned protest by Okada riders. The viral message circulating online had raised concerns that the riders intended to cause unrest in those areas.
FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, had in a statement titled “FCT Police Command Issues Strong Warning Against Alleged Plot to Attack Task Force Officials by Commercial Motorcyclists in Kubwa,” warned against any form of planned violence within the territory.
According to her, “The FCT Police Command is in receipt of a voice note circulating on social media, alleging that a group of commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) are planning to stage a violent attack on Task Force officials operating within the Kubwa axis of the FCT.”
The statement read in part, “The Command wishes to categorically state that such conduct amounts to criminality and will be met with the full weight of the law. Any person or group involved in planning, instigating, or contemplating any form of violent protest or attack on law enforcement officials under whatever guise, is hereby sternly warned to immediately abort such plans,” the statement read.
“The FCT Police Command will not hesitate to deploy all lawful means, including arrests, prosecution, and necessary force, to deal decisively with perpetrators of public disorder.
“Let it be clear: this is not a threat but a firm assurance. The Command has both the capacity and the resolve to protect public officers, safeguard lives and property, and ensure law and order within the Federal Capital Territory.
“Consequently, residents may observe increased deployment of police personnel and operational assets in and around the Kubwa axis as a proactive measure. These deployments are strictly aimed at preventing any breach of peace and should not be misconstrued.
“Law-abiding citizens are urged to remain calm, go about their lawful activities without fear, and report any suspicious movements or persons promptly via the following emergency lines: 0803 200 3913, 0806 158 1938.”
The FCT Police Command remains committed to the protection of all residents as no individual or group will be allowed to undermine the peace and security of the Federal Capital Territory.”
Despite the ongoing clampdown, many residents believe the government’s approach may be too sweeping, as it fails to distinguish between criminal elements and those genuinely earning a living.
Several of the affected Okada riders operate in communities on the outskirts of Abuja, far from the central areas where motorcycle operations have long been banned. By extending enforcement into village routes and community junctions, critics argue the taskforce risks alienating law-abiding citizens and deepening socioeconomic strain.
Already, signs of frustration are mounting. While the swift deployment of security personnel may have quelled an immediate uprising, locals fear that continued seizures without alternative livelihoods could ignite deeper unrest.
A critic, Barrister Imong Igefe , a stranded passenger at the Dutse junction said, “You cannot push people to the wall and expect them to remain calm.”
Meanwhile, a community leader in Kubwa told LEADERSHIP. Sunday that , “These are fathers and breadwinners. If they lose everything, what do you think will happen next?”
This is even as economic observers also warned that unchecked enforcement could undermine micro-economies that rely heavily on informal transport systems.
Chief Ikenna Uchenna, a business man at the Kubwa axis , who also appeared stranded due to the unavailability of okada at his junction said, “In many satellite towns, commercial motorcycles remain the most accessible and affordable means of movement for residents and small-scale traders.
“Removing them without a structured replacement plan could worsen mobility challenges and disrupt local commerce, and generate consequences that ultimately work against the administration’s broader goals of security and development.
