LAGOS TASK FORCE ACCUSED OF INVADING RESIDENTIAL STREET, SEIZING FOUR MOTORCYCLES, DEMANDING N1.6M FOR RELEASE

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, popularly known as the Task Force, has come under criticism after a rights organisation alleged that its operatives invaded a residential street in the Dopemu area of Lagos and seized four motorcycles belonging to residents.

The Campaign Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR), in a statement dated October 3, 2026, alleged that Task Force officials stormed Shomorin Street, off Union Road, around Cement Bus Stop, Dopemu, on September 25 and impounded the motorcycles.

According to the organisation, the motorcycles were seized even though the residents were not riding them on an expressway or other restricted route at the time of the operation.

CDWR identified three of the motorcycles by their registration numbers as PKA-520QM, AKM-691QL and LAR-987VF, while details of the fourth motorcycle were not immediately available.

The organisation further alleged that the owners went to the Task Force office in Oshodi to recover their motorcycles but were asked to pay N400,000 for the release of each motorcycle.

If accurate, the demand would amount to N1.6 million for the four motorcycles.

CDWR National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, described the alleged seizure and payment demand as an abuse of power and called for the immediate release of the motorcycles.

The organisation argued that the alleged operation represented a departure from the Task Force’s publicly stated enforcement focus on restricted routes, including highways, bridges and Bus Rapid Transit corridors.

The allegations come amid intensified enforcement by the Lagos Task Force against commercial motorcycle operations on roads and routes prohibited by the state government.

In September, Task Force Chairman CSP Adetayo Akerele said the agency would intensify enforcement against Okada operations on restricted routes, street obstructions and other activities considered threats to public safety.

The agency has also previously reported large-scale motorcycle seizures. In August, it announced that 66 commercial motorcycles had been impounded during an enforcement operation across parts of Lagos Island over alleged violations of transport regulations.

However, CDWR alleged that the Task Force had increasingly extended its operations into residential communities, accusing the agency of moving beyond restricted highways and similar locations to seize motorcycles on community streets.

The organisation also linked the alleged incident to the wider economic difficulties facing residents, citing expenses including fuel, housing, education and healthcare.

CDWR called on the Lagos State Government to summon the Task Force chairman and the officers involved to explain the operation and to investigate the alleged N400,000 payment request.

The organisation further demanded disciplinary action against any official found to have unlawfully impounded the motorcycles or demanded money from the owners for their release.

It also called for an end to what it described as the invasion of community streets for the purpose of seizing residents’ vehicles and motorcycles.

The Task Force has previously denied allegations of arbitrary seizures and extortion, maintaining that its enforcement activities are based on complaints, intelligence and petitions concerning alleged violations of Lagos State laws.

In a separate September 2026 dispute involving an estate in Lagos, the agency denied claims that its officers were breaking into private homes and garages to seize motorcycles. Its spokesperson, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, said that particular operation followed petitions from community development associations over alleged illegal Okada activities within the area.

The Task Force has also previously stated that motorcycles are confiscated through enforcement procedures for alleged violations of the Lagos State Road Transport Sector Reform Law and that its operations are intended to enforce restrictions on commercial motorcycle activities.

Street News Reporters reports that the latest allegations by CDWR have raised questions about the scope of Task Force operations in residential communities and the procedures governing the release of seized motorcycles.

The allegation that N400,000 was demanded for each of the four motorcycles has not been independently established, and the Task Force’s response to the specific Dopemu allegations was not included in the statement reviewed. The matter therefore remains subject to further clarification and investigation.