Nigerian govt bans okada, keke, truck, others on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

The Federal Government has banned illegal occupation, shanties, truck parking, unauthorised U-turns, hawking, animal grazing, motorcycles and tricycles on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

The restrictions are part of measures to restore order and improve safety on the newly opened highway amid concerns over activities capable of obstructing traffic, endangering motorists and damaging road infrastructure.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Engr Olufemi Dare, announced the measures during a press briefing on the coastal highway, warning that the government would no longer tolerate violations along the route.

Dare said the decision followed persistent infractions, including the use of portions of the highway as parking spaces by articulated vehicles, the creation of unauthorised U-turns and the emergence of shanties and illegal settlements.

He warned truck owners and drivers against parking on the highway, saying articulated vehicles found parked along the route would be clamped and towed away.

The Federal Controller also confirmed a total ban on motorcycles and tricycles, including commercial motorcycles popularly known as Okada and Keke Marwa.

“No Okada, is completely banned. No Keke Marwa, is completely banned. Tricycle, all manner of tricycles, they are banned on the coastal highway,” he said.

Dare said the government would also move against illegal U-turns created by road users and individuals he described as hoodlums operating along the highway.

He warned that anyone arrested for creating or using unauthorised U-turns would be prosecuted.

The ban also covers hawking and roadside trading, which Dare said had already begun to encroach on sections of the highway, particularly around kilometre 18.

He further prohibited the grazing of livestock along the route, warning that animals crossing the highway could trigger crashes and put motorists at risk.

“Grazing of animals is banned,” he declared, adding that anyone caught violating the directive would face enforcement action.

On illegal settlements, Dare said shanties and other unauthorised structures had emerged at different points along the highway, with areas such as Marwa identified as having a concentration of such structures.

He said security agencies would collaborate to remove the illegal occupants, noting that the settlements could provide hideouts for criminals.

The enforcement measures come amid broader security and safety concerns over activities along the coastal highway.

Dare disclosed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Oladipo, had briefed Divisional Police Officers operating along the route and directed increased police presence to support enforcement.

According to him, more than 100 motorcycles had already been impounded along the highway in the preceding week.

The Federal Government also plans to deploy 40 coastal guards along the first section of the highway. The guards are expected to work with the police and local communities to monitor activities and improve security along the route.

Dare said the government was equally concerned about the theft and vandalisation of road infrastructure, including clear-view fences, directional signs and manhole covers.

He disclosed that about five kilometres of clear-view fencing had been removed, while manhole covers along an estimated 18-kilometre stretch had been stolen.

To strengthen security and prevent further vandalism, he said the government was considering replacing some sections of the clear-view fencing with blockwork and installing closed-circuit television cameras.

The Federal Controller also cautioned motorists against speeding, stressing that the approved speed limit on the highway remained 30 kilometres per hour because construction work, including major bridge projects, was still ongoing.

He said some motorists had been recorded travelling at speeds of between 100km/h and 120km/h despite the restriction.

Dare said road users had been given two weeks to comply with the new regulations, warning that continued violations could result in the closure of the coastal highway.

He said the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, had directed that the road could be shut if the violations persisted.

Dare stressed that the government could not continue to expose lives and critical infrastructure to avoidable risks.