LAGOS — THE Lagos State Government, Wednesday, warned owners of broken-down vehicles on Mile 2-Oshodi-Apapa Expressway to remove them immediately or risk being fined for both abandoning the vehicles and towing fee should the vehicles be removed by the state government.

Rising from the weekly meeting of the Lagos State Security Council presided over by Governor Babatunde Fashola, at Lagos House, Marina, the Council said a powerful taskforce would soon be set up by the government to clear the expressway of all abandoned trailers, pointing out that they pose both security and safety risks.

Briefing newsmen on behalf of the Council after the meeting, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr. Tunde Sobulo further explained that the taskforce would be empowered to impound all trailers or other vehicles abandoned on the expressway adding that owners of such vehicles would be made to pay a fine and also the cost of towing such vehicles by the taskforce.

“There is going to be a very strong taskforce that will remove the vehicles and when we do, we are not only going to fine the owner, we are going to charge him for the money used in removing the vehicle. So we are appealing, for the purpose of safety and security, to all those who have broken-down trailers along the Oshodi-Mile 2- Apapa Expressway to go and remove them immediately”, Sobulo said.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police also disclosed that a new policy on commercial motorcycle is on the way to deal with errant riders who still disobey government rules and regulations on the operation of commercial motorcycles (Okada) on the state’s roads.

According to him, “Okada riders are still giving us problems. They are still riding against traffic and carrying two to three passengers and without helmet. Majority of the culprits are those that are not members of the motorcyclists’ union.”

There is nothing to identify them with. But I believe there is going to be a policy soon and when it is out we will know how to deal with them”.

On the persistent traffic hold-up around Berger on the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Sobulo appealed to road users to be patient with the Police as, according to him, “there is no other way we can do what we are doing now to prevent car-snatchers from stealing cars in Lagos and taking them to Ogun State”.

“Even among ourselves, we agreed that there was not going to be checkpoint there, but when thieves came to Magodo and snatched as many as five cars and abandoned their owners in the bush along the expressway, these things touched our hearts. If you go to Berger now, you will see that apart from putting up checkpoint, we have lit up the place using generators and halogen lamps to provide light for people to see what we are doing”, the Police boss said.

He explained, however, that the hold-ups are mainly caused by people from work wanting to get home and in their hurry enter the wrong lanes and in the process of changing to the right lanes when they get to their direction, they cause hold up.

Pointing out that he deployed a senior police officer on that duty, Sobulo further explained, “There are also the Mountain of Fire and Redeem churches on the same road and when they have their programmes, all these cause traffic hold-up on the road”. He advised road users to alert the authorities on the mobile phone number 08033355544 in the case of any misbehaviors by the police on duty on the road.

On the coming Eyo Festival, The Deputy Police Commissioner said there would be another Security Council Meeting which, according to him, would include other security agencies in the State to map out strategies to maintain peace and security throughout the festival.

Also present at the briefing were Commander NNS Beecroft, Commander J.K.Z. Ango, Airforce Officer, Tony Omenyi and Director of Operation, Nigerian Army, G.K Nwosu who represented the Commander 9 Brigade, Brigadier Sanusi Muazu.