Gunmen Attack FCT Minister’s Taskforce

 

Suspected gunmen on Thursday attacked the Federal Capital Territory Task Force team during a clearance operation along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport road corridor.

It was gathered that the team was attacked while trying to enforce the ban on commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as okada.

The task force during the operation impounded over 100 motorbikes on Thursday.

According to reports, some of the motocyclists were found wanting for driving against traffic and driving on the expressway, among others.

While the task force was enforcing the ban along the car wash area in Lugbe some of the riders mobilized themselves and started shooting at the joint task team.

It was learnt that the riders also attacked the task force team with other dangerous weapons.

Items recovered by the task team included one locally made gun, a pistol, cutlasses and a dagger.

The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, Attah Ikharo, in his reaction to the incident, said, “We came for removal of okada on the airport corridor. The Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, has given a marching order that okada should be removed because they are not allowed to ply the main road but most times we find them heavily driving against traffic on the expressway, contravening traffic rules, we find them behaving unruly, we find them hurting people here so we came to remove them on the airport road.”

He further stated that they are used to being attacked, adding that they have been attacked severally.

Ikharo added, “Before the joint taskforce came on board the security men have always been under attack by these okada riders, it is a regular thing here”.