The Police, Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and other sister agencies have partnered to arrest owners of unregistered motorcycles as a means of addressing insecurity in the Sango-Ota axis of the state.

The Sango-Ota Police Area Commander, Muyideen Obe, told reporters in Ota, Ogun, that the exercise was aimed at checking incessant cases of insecurity in the area.

Mr Obe said that the special taskforce, jointly formed by the police, TRACE and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was set up to address the influx of motorcycles into Sango-Ota, following their ban by Lagos government.

“There is a need for such collaboration among security agencies in the state to combat insecurity, as some people hide under the guise of operating commercial motorcycles to commit crime,” he said.

He reiterated the commitment of police to partner with other security agencies to ensure safety of lives and property of the citizenry.

Mr Obe also stressed the need for all motorcycle riders to register with the state government to check the rising crime rate in the state.

He further said that the directive was from the state government and that it was meant to create a database for all registered commercial motorcyclists.

The Sango-Ota Area Commander of TRACE, Mr Adekunle Ajibade, said that the exercise, which commenced at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, led to the arrest of an unspecified number of commercial motorcyclists.

Mr Ajibade said that the exercise was to serve as a deterrent to other motorcyclists who refused to register with the state government.

He promised that his agency would continue to collaborate with other sister agencies to stem the tide of insecurity in the state.