- Ogun State Police Command spokesperson Omolola Odutola stated that Commissioner of Police Abiodun Alamutu has directed proactive measures to address unauthorized use of motorcycle helmets for criminal activities
- Odutola reported that police have initiated arrests for individuals wearing tinted reflective helmets and posing as commercial motorcyclists to steal from unsuspecting passengers
Nine commercial motorbike riders have been detained and charged by the police in Ogun State for allegedly wearing unlicensed helmets.
Omolola Odutola, a spokesman for the Ogun State Police Command, reported that Abiodun Alamutu, the commissioner of police, had ordered that proactive measures be made “to address the use of unauthorised motorcycle helmets for criminal activities.”
As a result, according to Odutola, “police have started arresting individuals who wear tinted reflective helmets and pose as commercial motorcyclists to rob unsuspecting passengers.”
She disclosed that, “it has become increasingly common for these criminals to wrap bandanas around their faces, leaving only their eyes visible, while wearing the unauthorized helmets as a disguise.”
This method, she alleged, allows the Okada riders “to conceal their identities and carry out their illegal activities.”
As a response to this growing trend, the PPRO disclosed that “the police have successfully arrested nine riders who were found to be using these illegal methods to conceal their identities.”
It was learnt that the arrested suspects are currently being interrogated at the Ijebu Ode Police Station.
They include: Joseph Itodo, Johnson Joseph, Ugwu Samson, Osinowo Seyi, and five others “who were unable to provide a reasonable explanation for wearing unauthorized helmets and masking their faces with bandanas.”
Meanwhile, the police have charged passengers to exercise caution by conducting identity checks on motorcycle riders before getting on board to avoid potential kidnapping and robbery.