Nigeria crushes 2,000 motorcycle taxis in Lagos

Over 2,000 confiscated motorcycle taxis (okada) have been crushed in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, following a ban on the vehicles.

This follows the ban on the vehicles which took effect on June 1 due to the lynching of a man by suspected riders last month, which sparked outrage, forcing authorities to act.

The 38-year-old sound engineer, Sunday David was killed in the upmarket Lekki neighbourhood after a disagreement over fares.

The ban has been welcomed by mixed reactions from local residents with some saying the riders drive dangerously, while others say okada riding provides vital work for young people and is also an easy mode of transport.

Since the ban has been put in place, parts of the city that are usually buzzing with okada riders have seemed unusually quiet, local media reports.

It applies to six local government areas - Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland and Apapa - and came into force on 1 June.

In January 2020, the government banned the operation of motorcyclists in 15 local council areas across Lagos. But that stopped being enforced.