By Gideon Njoku
Charles Oputa, popular as Charly Boy, or Area Father, has made frightening revelations on the identities of commercial motorcycle riders, popular as Okada, who ply Lagos roads and streets.
Oputa, also very popular with Okada Riders for which he is called Area Father, was reacting to phone calls and criticisms which accuse him of saying no word since the banning of the riders in Lagos.
The Lagos State Government, citing insecurities, the need to cut down on accidents, and sanity on the state’s roads, had, at the beginning of February, banned the use of motorcycles and tricycles as means of transportation in 15 Local Government Areas of the state.
The ban has caused untold hardship to, especially, the masses, and has triggered an unprecedented traffic grid on the roads because a number of vehicle owners, who before the ban, parked them at home, proceeding to pursue their everyday business, using the banned means of transportation, have flooded the roads with their vehicles.
Charly Boy, known for his unconventional way of fighting for the masses, with hundreds of Okada Riders In tow, disclosed that he decided to support the ban when a reliable source disclosed to him the identities of the riders, and why they flooded Lagos.
He said many of them are radical Muslims, known for their unconventional ways of praying.
Fearing a complete break down in the area of security, he warned of imminent dangers if they were not sent out of the state and environs.
Following is his frightening revelation.
Why I Support The Okada Ban
By Charles Oputa
“People dey ask me say, CharlyBoy why you allow Lagos state government Ban Keke/Okada riders for most major roads for Lagos. Say, even since dem Ban dem you never talk anything. People just dey Trek anyhow for Lagos.
“I go just take style answer dem.
“The Okada People I dey see now no be my boys” Most of them no know me and me no know dem.
For una information, I am in total support of this Okada ban based on my discussion with one of my hausa chairman in Akomora two decades ago, when I just meet again after so many years. He gave me more insight into the activites of these Okada riders..
- He told me that most of the riders in Lekki are Shite members and other Muslim radicals.
- He told me that there are other 2 – 3 groups also in Lagos / Lekki axis who could only be identified with the way they pray completely different form the normal prayers. He said, these ones are more dangerous than the Shite group but if you don’t know , you will never know because they hide their identities a lot.
3 . He told me that they are coming to Lagos enmass and gathering momentum to enable them do the kind of things they practice in Kaduna, Kano etc… I was told that their new concentration bases are, Lagos and Kwara for now.
My People, we must be vigilant oooo. I was amazed with the information I got from my old time Malam friend.
He told me that their Sponsors provides all the Okadas for them so that their base in Lagos will be strong enough to unleash their normal mayhem….. chineke God Why?
I can now understand why Landlords in Lekki are shouting about the level of Insecurity. Una never know anything.
Amotekun is a good development but if we fail to curtail the influx of these people posing as Okada riders, then we are in for a timebomb that could explode any moment from now and thats why am in total support of this Ban. Period.
Most important step on security is Intelligence with less noise in the social media. Just imagine the amount of information I gathered from a common malam and henceforth I will be engaging him and his likes more.
For this action Lagos State took, I do hope more states in SW, SE will follow suit.
For 25yrs, I fought for Okada People, graduates who against all odds just wanted to survive on their honest work.
For over 25yrs, I have personally given away as Dash over 3,000 Okada bikes for free. The people I dey see now, no make sense biko.
When one is surrounded by enemies, you better be vigilant. The influx of these people must be tackled with full force. May Gods protection never depart from our households.
Wahala dey”
