The Lagos State Task Force, on Wednesday, clamped down on commercial motorcycles and squatters who erected shanties along the rail tracks in the Fagba area of the state.

The agency said 359 bikes were impounded and several shanties demolished in the follow-up exercise after the launch of the Red Line Rail project.

The spokesperson for task force, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, said the two-day operation,  led by the Chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, covered areas like the Fagba Rail Track, Iju-Ishaga, Abattoir and Pen Cinema, resulting in the confiscation of bikes that operated on restricted routes, highways and bridges located in the areas.

Jejeloye disclosed that miscreants who loitered around the abattoir supported the okada operators in resisting arrest and causing mayhem to prevent the confiscation of the bikes but were subdued by the tactical and combatant superiority of the task force.

He said, “It was a complex operation seizing these bikes from their recalcitrant operators due to the presence of miscreants lurking around the abattoir. They threw stones and objects at us in order to thwart our effort but they were no match for our tactical superiority.

“The presence of okada and shanties along the rail tracks pose significant safety risks to residents, passersby and commuters who choose to patronise both the train and commercial motorcycle. Clearing them completely improves the aesthetic appeal of the rail area and would also mitigate encroachment on rail infrastructure in the state.”

The task force in March disclosed that a total of 470 motorcycles were seized in a weeklong operation in the state.

The state government had banned the operation of commercial motorcycles to guarantee safety on major highways.