The Commander of Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, on Wednesday, warned members of the public against patronizing commercial motorcycle riders with hoods and without the state government registration emblem.
Adeleye who handed this warning in Akure, Ondo state capital, said the warning became necessary to protect members of the public from some criminal elements perpetrating crimes by wearing hoods.
The warning follows the alarming rate at which members of the public who board commercial motorcycles otherwise known as ‘okada’ as well as passengers boarding cabs go missing during the day in Akure, the state capital.
Adeleye lamented that unsuspected members of the public have fallen victim to the dastardly acts and said his men have commenced an investigation to unravel the syndicate behind the crimes, saying “this is unacceptable to us.”
He said “As a consequence, we are working on breaking this syndicate and we need the public to stop boarding any Okada that does not wear SITA registration and without a commercial registration number plate.
“Commercial taxis that are not painted and numbered in commercial number should not ply the road again.
“Any taxi without a registration number is assumed to belong to that syndicate and we are tracking them down, but we want to warn members of the public not to board such Okada or taxi otherwise, they may end up being hypnotised and kidnapped.
“This ungodly act is more rampant during the day and this is more reason Amotekun Corps is warning members of the public to be careful about the kind of Okada they would ride on,” he stated.
According to Adeleye, once any Okada is not registered, members of the public should not board a such motorcycle, saying “all those covering their faces with masks and riding Okada are all members of the syndicate.
“To further stem the tide of these latest tactics of kidnap, Okada riders with hooded faces, henceforth, are allowed to operate in the state.
“No Okada rider should carry any passenger unless such person has been debriefed, satisfied and registered with SITA, otherwise they will be treated as members of the syndicate if arrested.
“This moment, it is not a case of seizing Okada, they will be arrested and prosecuted.
Taxi drivers with unregistered number plates will face immediate prosecution and not their vehicles being impounded anymore,” he said
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