The Ondo State government has placed an embargo on late-night motorcycle operations across the 18 local government areas of the state as part of efforts to tackle rising insecurity.
The Commander of the State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, Mr. Adetunji Adeleye, reinforced the directive on Wednesday while parading 70 suspects apprehended across the state during recent security operations.
Adeleye said motorcycle operations would now be restricted between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., explaining that the measure aimed to curb the activities of kidnappers, armed robbers, and other criminal elements who often use motorcycles to perpetrate attacks and escape from crime scenes.
He clarified that the ban applies to all motorcycle operators during the restricted hours, except personnel involved in essential services and security operations who must be properly identified and certified.
According to him, the state government has also directed that all motorcycle riders must register with the Amotekun Corps and obtain the necessary certification to operate within the state.
He added that riders have two weeks to complete the registration free of charge; defaulters will then be required to pay N20,000 to the state Board of Internal Revenue to regularise their operations.
“All motorcycle users and operators within the state must register and obtain certification from the Amotekun Corps, either at the headquarters or at the various local government commands. Any person who fails to comply with this registration requirement will be deemed to be operating unlawfully within the state,” Adeleye said.
“We want all Okada riders properly documented so that security agencies can easily identify legitimate operators and isolate those who may be using motorcycles for criminal purposes,” he added.
In another security measure, the Amotekun commander announced a ban on cart-pushing activities in major metropolitan areas across the state.
The government also ordered the mandatory registration of dealers in condemned iron and scrap metals, directing individuals and businesses involved in the trade to register with the authorities within two weeks or face enforcement actions.
Similarly, the state government prohibited the display and sale of farm produce in unauthorised locations, particularly at roadside junctions and makeshift stalls.
Adeleye explained that intelligence gathered by security agencies indicated some roadside trading points were being used by criminal elements as monitoring posts within the metropolis.
“If you look around the town, you will see people displaying tomatoes, fruits, onions, and other items at junctions. Intelligence reports have shown that some of these places are being used as monitoring points for criminal activities within the metropolis,” he said.
The Amotekun Corps paraded 70 suspects arrested across the 18 local government areas during recent security operations. The suspects include 18 suspected kidnappers, while others were arrested for offences bordering on breach of law and order, anti-grazing violations, human trafficking, and court-related cases.
Adeleye said the arrests resulted from joint operations involving Amotekun, the Police, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Department of State Services.
He stressed that ongoing patrols and forest operations would continue to strengthen security across the state.
