Men in military uniform snatching our motorcycles –Riders

Commercial motorcyclists in Mowe, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have cried out over the rate at which armed men in military uniform snatch their motorcycles.
The riders said they had lost over 30 motorcycles to armed robbers in the last couple of months. According to them, the robbers usually pretend to be passengers but when they get to lonely places, they will pull out guns, order the riders to stop and take the motorcycles.
“They have snatched about 30 motorcycles through this method in Mowe alone. “Some of us got the motorcycles on the agreement that we would pay back in installments. “The motorcycles are being collected from us by men who posed as passengers,” one of them, who gave his name as Tunde Ojo, said. Ojo said his own incident happened in January, when two men approached him and said they should be taken to Lagos Street in Mowe area.

He said: “When we got to the street, they brought out a gun and asked me to cooperate with them. “Immediately I saw their gun, I left my okada (motorcycle) for them in order to save my life. “My joy was that I did not get the motorcycle on installment. I waited for three months before I could get another okada.” Another commercial motorcyclist, Kayode Adele, also has a sad tale. Adele said in February when he was coming from Owode-Egba to Mowe, he was flagged down by a man who asked to be taken to a particular house at Arigbawo.
He said: “When we got there, we met another person in the house. After exchanging pleasantries, I was asked to give him the key to my motorcycle. Initially, I was reluctant, but I gave him the key after I was shown a gun. “When my motorcycle was stolen, I went through hell. To feed my family became a problem.
It was only recently that my friends came to my rescue and gave me another motorcycle.” Sulaiman Tijani also has a similar experience.
Tijani said he was on his way to the park when he decided to go and pray at the mosque. According to him, after the prayer he discovered that his motorcycle parked outside the mosque had been stolen.
He said: “We searched everywhere and some adjoining streets but we could not find the motorcycle. But I took solace in God and trekked down to the park to inform my collogues about the incident.”
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