10 Okada riders killed in two months in Nasarawa

Ten commercial motorcyclists have been killed and their bikes snatched in Lafia over the past two months, as criminals pose as passengers.

At least ten commercial motorcyclists have been killed in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, over the past two months by attackers who stole their motorcycles after murdering them. Uba Yahaya, the Lafia Branch Chairman of the National Association of Okada Riders, disclosed this while reacting to the frequent attacks on riders in the state. According to him, he personally attended the funerals of all the victims. “We ourselves have attended the funerals of ten people. All their motorcycles were taken away! All of them! They were killed,” he said.

Yahaya described the brutal methods used by the criminals, citing one case where a rider was hit with a club along the bypass. He recounted another incident where a rider was stabbed “straight to his heart” and had his skull smashed. He lamented that security in the area has worsened again despite recent steps taken by the state government that initially brought “some relief. People experienced some relief, didn’t they? But because people relaxed, now the problems have started increasing again,” Yahaya stated.

The chairman said most of the attacks now happen at night, “between the Maghrib prayer and the Isha prayer,” though some occur during the day. He alleged that criminals now operate by pretending to be passengers or mechanics and by using commercial motorcycle jackets recently distributed to riders to deceive victims. He narrated one incident: “A certain young man, just recently, had his motorcycle taken. That criminal was wearing the rider’s jacket. So he deceived that other guy. One sat behind the motorcycle, and the two deceivers were on the bike. That’s how they continued to beat him. In the end, he barely escaped, and they took the motorcycle and ran away”.

Yahaya also alleged that one suspect had snatched more than five motorcycles. “He uses a gun; if he shows you the gun, if you don’t give him the bike, he’ll pull out the gun. Even during the day, he does this work all alone!” he said. The chairman said the association is “100% behind the government’s move to reduce the movement of these night travels” to address the killings and snatching.

A relative of one victim, Abduljalal Muhammad, recounted how his younger brother, Yusuf Muhammad, was shot and killed by suspected criminals while working as a commercial motorcyclist in Lafia. He said the incident happened after his brother picked up a passenger and was demanding his payment. “He picked up a passenger and when he demanded his payment, they shot him. They will hold a short gun and point it at you while you’re waiting for your payment. They will shoot at your head,” he said. He added that another relative was also shot in the same area but survived.

The killings in Lafia follow a pattern seen across Nigeria, where commercial motorcyclists have become easy targets for criminals. The use of disguises and the exploitation of trust are particularly alarming. The victims are not just statistics; they are breadwinners whose families are left without support.

This echoes the 2022 wave of Okada rider killings in the North-west, which also involved criminals posing as passengers. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a vulnerable workforce being systematically targeted and the state struggling to protect them.

The winners: the criminals who continue to operate with impunity. The losers: the families of the ten deceased riders; the Okada riders who live in fear; and the Nasarawa State Government, which has failed to provide lasting security.

Bottom Line: Ten Okada riders dead in two months. The criminals are getting bolder. The government is struggling to protect its citizens.