Kano Residents Fume as Police Arrest Riders Carrying Relatives, Seize Bikes Amid Bandit Attacks
- The Kano state police, with the Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), have reinstated a ban on motorcycle passenger transport to improve security
- However, enforcement has triggered public outcry as authorities are also allegedly arresting private riders carrying family members
- Residents argued the policy lacked common sense and compassion, while officials insisted strict enforcement is a necessary security measure
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The enforcement of the reinstated ban on commercial motorcycle operations, commonly known as 'Achaba,' by the Kano state Police Command has triggered widespread concern and complaints among residents.
Source: Getty Images
Many private motorcycle owners are now caught in the dragnet due to police operations in collaboration with the Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA).
Findings by Legit.ng showed that the ban, aimed at curbing crime and improving traffic safety, has seen security agents arresting riders and impounding motorcycles even when the passengers are spouses, children, colleagues, or individuals en route to essential services like hospitals.
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A Legit.ng correspondent in Kano spoke with some residents who became unexpected victims of the clampdown after giving what they described as private, non-commercial rides.
Malam Ahmed Ibrahim, a civil servant, was stopped and arrested at a checkpoint near Hotoro while taking his wife to a medical appointment.
“I showed them my ID, my wife's hospital card, and explained this was my family. They insisted it was a violation. My bike was seized, and I had to pay a fine after pleading. Where is the sense in this?" he lamented.
Families, helpers targeted in Kano bike ban
For Aisha Yusuf, a classroom teacher in Sallari, the incident was both costly and distressing.
“My husband was carrying my child and me to work on his bike. We were stopped, and the KAROTA officers said carrying more than one person is an offence, even if they are you.
“They took his motorcycle. I now had to struggle with commercial tricycle fares,” she added.
Source: Getty Images
Another victim, Salmanu Ahmad, a businessman, said he was giving a lift to a colleague from the market to the nearby bus stop.
"We were both from the market. We were just helping each other. They termed it 'illegal passenger conveyance.' The enforcement is too rigid, with no room for common sense," Salmanu stated.
On his own part, Malam Jabiru Aliyu said he witnessed how KAROTA officials stopped a man who was taking a sick neighbour to a clinic.
“The woman was in clear distress. I had to intervene to explain it was an emergency, but the officer said the law is the law.
“They confiscated the bike. It wasn't until I paid something to the officer that they let them go. This lack of compassion is shocking,“ she added.
However, the police public relations officer in Kano, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, reiterated that the ban is a security measure.
“Those motorcycles we confiscated, we will take the offenders to court; therefore, we urge the public to comply for their own safety."
Kano border settlement burnt, residents killed
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that armed bandits stormed a farming community in Unguwar Tsamiya, Shanono LGA, Kano shortly after midnight on Monday, December 1.
The attackers killed several residents, set homes ablaze and looted possessions, leaving families displaced and many injured before security forces intervened.
Eleven people, nine men and two women, were abducted, two cows were rustled, and neighbours fled in fear as reinforcements were deployed to prevent further attacks.
Source: Legit.ng
