The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) seized 27 motorcycles known as Okadas on Monday.
They also removed shanties and batchers placed on highways that restrict traffic movement along Airport Road.
The administration said that this is to restore order on Abuja’s highways, particularly the airport road.
The cleanup operation, which involved all relevant Abuja agencies, began from the Karamajiji end of the road corridors.
Dr Abdulateef Bello, Director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), told reporters at the event that his agency was able to confiscate 27 motorcycles on the airport road stretch for various offenses ranging from driving against the traffic to driving on the wrong side of the road.
He, however, stated that the administration is not trying to put hardship on anybody, but the administration is more concern about the safety and security of it’s residence.
According to him, “We have done a lot of engagement building social trust, with the Okada riders so that they will be law abiding but as at today there are some sturborn riders that are not willing to comply with our directives. Today we have over 27 motor cycles that were seized and they will pass through normal forfeiture and they will put them for crushing.
“The FCT Administration is not trying to put hardship on anybody. But the administration is more concern about the safety and security of residence. Riding against traffic, riding on the highway is anti safety and the fact that we know everyone is trying to put food of their table they should obey the rules and regulations of the land”.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah said there is no going back on the operation, which would last for a month.
Attah said: “Right now is the extremely massive cleanup of airport road here. Starting from the traffic here, seizures of motor cycle, pin down points.
“We removed illegal structures, shanties, batchers, especially those that built shops under the high tension cables. We touched so many communities here, we did so many cleanups here in view of the directive of FCT Minister.
“We are working on the entire airport road stretch. So much work will be going on here in the next one month, we will be working on the airport road, keeping it clean and ensure free flow of traffic at the stretch.
“You know airport road stretch is the gateway to the city. We came here last week some have tried to return, the market we sacked last week but we have sacked them again and we will continue to come back here again and again. We won’t get tired the determination is very strong, we will keep working again and again, until we get rid of every environmental abnormalities.
“Two markets were sacked before and one came back and we resacked it again today and on Tuesday we are going to do more cleanups along the Airport road”, he added.
