Okada rider arraigned for stripping self

The Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit has charged the okada rider who allegedly stripped himself on Acme Road, Ogba on Monday to the state special court in Alausa.

The government said the rider, Mr. Sunday Udoh, 38, stripped himself to evade arrest for violating the road traffic law and possibly expose the policemen who wanted to arrest him to attacks from sympathisers.

 

The Taskforce Chairman, Superintendent Bayo Sulaiman, said Udoh’s action constituted public nuisance and was a violation of the traffic law.

 

After pleading not guilty to the charge, the court granted Udoh bail in the sum of N100,000 and one surety.

 

However, when it was obvious that he could not meet the bail condition, he was remanded in custody while the case was adjourned to October 13, 2012.

 

Before his arraignment, Udoh had told our correspondent that he did not know if he stripped himself.

He said, “I don’t know what happened; I was begging them and I don’t know whether my clothes were on me or not.”

 

But Sulaiman insisted that the okada rider stripped himself to attract public sympathy and create confusion.

 

He said, “He was about to be arrested when he created a big scene by stripping himself. It seems that is a new trick by okada riders to evade arrests for violating traffic law. We had to persuade him to put on his clothes before we arrested him.

 

“Stripping is a violation of the traffic law. His action can cause attack on policemen by other okada riders.”