Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has said he was not informed before the state police command placed restrictions on motorcycle movement in the state capital.
Speaking on Thursday during the launch of fertiliser sales for the 2025 farming season, Yahaya told residents that although he was not consulted by the Commissioner of Police, Bello Yahaya, he would not ask for the order to be reversed.
“The Commissioner of Police did not consult me about his plans for the restriction,” the governor said. “Even if I call him in response to your cries, I will not ask him to lift the restriction. I would rather tell him to look and do what is right at the right time.”
Motorcycle riders in Gombe town are now barred from operating between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. due to rising cases of crime, including phone and bike snatching, thuggery and killings.
While defending the restriction, the governor explained that over 1,000 motorcycles had already been seized, with more than 90 percent of them unregistered.
“We all know states around us that have completely banned motorcycles. We’ve not taken that path in Gombe. We all need to make sacrifices for the well-being and development of our state,” he said.
Yahaya also backed the police action, saying he would support any step to stop killings and crimes in the state. “If a parent comes to bail out a thug arrested by security agents, that parent should be arrested as well,” he added.
Residents, however, are complaining about the impact of the restriction on their daily lives. Dan Hajiya, who runs a suya business, said he now has to shut down early and lose most of his evening customers.
“I usually make most of my sales between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., but now I’m forced to shut down before 7 p.m., just when business should be picking up,” he said. “If I don’t close early, I’ll have to trek home, which is not only risky but also unsafe.”
He added, “We support any measure that ensures public safety, but not one that stifles businesses and drives away investment.”
The motorcycle restriction was announced on June 11, 2025, by the police command. It also includes a ban on carrying more than one passenger, using truck horns on motorcycles, and carrying dangerous weapons in public. The directive remains in force.
