The price of a brand new TVS or Bajaj motorcycle ranges from N900,000 to N1,100,000, according to local sources. Seven out of ten Okada riders in the Ilesa metropolis are not primary owners of their motorcycles, simple statistics conducted by WITHIN NIGERIA in front of Odo-Oro garage revealed. They either buy it by signing a higher purchase agreement or lease from the owners and pay installments as they ride for commercial purposes. As difficult as it is to own a motorcycle, it is easier to form a gang and steal or hijack motorcycles.
Apart from cult attacks, Ilesa has become a haven for robbers. Despite the presence of four police stations, two DSS offices, two NSCDC offices, and one custodial center, criminal elements have continued to hold residents of the metropolis to ransom. More than four motorcycles were reportedly hijacked by some criminal elements at a popular junction in Imo, a neighborhood in Ilesa along Winners Chapel Church and popular Eid praying ground.
Recall that in June 2023, within Nigeria, a report titled “From ‘ride to death’: Inside Osun town where Okada riders don’t return to their wives, kids” narrated how criminal elements targeted owners of fairly used motorcycles and chased or enticed riders to dark or quiet areas, seized their motorcycles, and killed any rider who refused to cooperate.
A resident simply identified as Samuel told WITHIN NIGERIA that Okada riders are always at the mercy of these criminals.
‘I have heard the cries of more than four Okada riders who lost their motorcycles to robbers, and by the time people came to their rescue, the robbers would have gone with their properties’ a rather sad Samuel narrated.
Samuel, while decrying the incessant rate at which motorcycles are being stolen or hijacked in the vicinity, disclosed that the incident keeps reoccurring due to a lack of action from the community leaders or the police.
There was a week where four motorcycles were hijacked at the junction beside Winners’ Chapel Ministries. I do not know if they reported the incident to the police, but I persuaded one victim to go to the Ijamo Police Division to report the stolen motorcycle. I really pity these Okada riders, Samuel.
Olatunji Jacob, a 37-year-old father of four, is one of the victims whose motorcycles were hijacked. He told the owner within Nigeria that he took the stolen motorcycle from the owner by signing a higher purchase agreement, which means he would pay a higher than normal payment because the payment would be in installments.
Jacob, who claimed that his life became miserable after his TVS motorcycle was stolen around 5:30 a.m. on a Monday morning, narrated that he was riding his motorcycle to the residence of one of his passengers, whom he usually takes to Sabo, when the sad incident happened.
‘I was heading to Kajola before I was signaled by two young men at the junction, which is barely five meters away from the signpost of Living Faith Ministries. They requested that I take them to Babalola Girls’ School, which I obliged and charged them the sum of N400’, a rather sad Olatunji narrated.
According to the father of four, one of these criminals drew a sharp knife after the other pushed him away while sitting on the motorcycle.
They threatened to kill me if I did not release the key. I gave them the key. They took the motorcycle away. I cried for help, but no one showed up until they left, Olatunji further explained.
Obaloluwa, a 32-year-old welder, told INTERNIGERIA that he was also robbed of his motorcycle in Imo around 5 a.m. in early March.
The welder, who was coming from vigil, disclosed that he saw someone beside the road who waved at him, seeking his assistance to transport him to Kajola.
Obaloluwa, while attributing his good intention of helping others in need as the cause of his loss, further narrated that he was pushed away from the motorcycle by another person while attending to the supposed person in need.
“I thought he was in distress and needed help, but I was wrong. He actually deceived me into stopping the motorcycle. The moment I stopped, I noticed that I was being grabbed by another person. I was pushed inside the gutter, and they drove the motorcycle away. I tried to face them, but I was overpowered. They also had weapons like an axe and a sharp knife,” Obaloluwa narrated.
He further stated that he has not escaped from the trauma, and how he lost his motorcycle remains a harrowing experience for him.
The motorcycle was more than a means of transportation for us. It was a means of generating family income. I am a welder. When I do not get jobs, I use it for commercial purposes to be able to feed my family.
When this reporter asked if the incident was reported to the police, Obaloluwa disclosed that he did not make any attempt.
‘I believe it cannot be recovered by the police. If I report the incident, I will spend money, and there is a guarantee that the motorcycle will be found, which would likely make it an additional loss.
The Divisional Police Officer of Ijamo Police Command, CSP Gbenga Ajiboye, while reacting to the story, told WITHIN NIGERIA that the police have not received any complaints or reports about the hijacking of motorcycles by some criminal elements in the locality.
CSP Ajiboye, while assuring the readiness of the police to investigate and boost its surveillance in the vicinity, further disclosed that the last time such a report was made to the police was in 2023.
We swung into action, which led to the arrest of two young men, namely, Tope and the other, popularly known as Black Jesus. They were arrested after they were found to be responsible for the theft of a motorcycle belonging to a senior citizen in the state. They were arraigned and have been jailed at the Ilesa Medium Custodial Centre, CSP Ajiboye told reporters Within Nigeria.