The federal government has made plans to place a total ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly called okada, as well as mining activities across the country for security reasons.
The attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, disclosed this on Thursday while addressing journalists at the end of the national security council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Malami said the ban was being considered as part of efforts to curtail the activities of terrorists, who often use motorcycles.
He said several approaches for containing insecurity were deliberated during the meeting.
He said motorcycles provide the means of transportation for terrorists while mining is their source of funds for the purchase of arms.
“Placing a ban on the use of motorcycles and mining activities will cut the supply of logistics to the terrorists. This will be done in the national interest.
“We are Nigerians because Nigeria as a country exists and any issue that will translate into a threat to national security or the corporate existence of the country requires certain sacrifices.
“So, regardless of the means that is being considered for the possible banning, this is a sacrifice that we see as what will help address the security challenges and I think no sacrifice is too big as far as that issue is concerned,” he said.
Malami also said less than a third of Nigeria’s 200 million population would be affected by the ban on motorcycles.
“Above all, if you are talking of banning motorcycles, for example, I think the number of people using these motorcycles is not up to 20 percent of the Nigerian population.
“So if that percentage is called to make a sacrifice that is all-pervading or affecting over 200 million Nigerians, I think that sacrifice is not too much and is worthy of being considered,” he said.
Also speaking, the minister of interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, said significant efforts were made to gather intelligence before the attack on Kuje correctional center in Abuja but expressed regret that there was a lack of will to act on it.
Aregbesola said a preliminary report of the investigation of the attack had been submitted to the president.
He said officers who failed in their responsibilities would be punished.
