Delta LGA bans okada, keke riders from wearing face masks
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The Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State has issued new operational guidelines for commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators, banning the use of face masks while on duty.
According to a statement signed and released by the Secretary of the Local Government Council, Hon. Raymond Overah, the directives are part of efforts to maintain peace, order, and effective transportation management within the area.
The statement, made available to journalists in Warri on Tuesday, stated that the new rules would take effect 30 days from now and would be strictly enforced.
“The operation time for okada riders is now restricted to 6:00 am – 8:00 pm daily. Every rider must wear a reflective vest with a clearly written Area Code Number,” the statement read in part.
Any okada rider found wearing face masks while on duty shall be arrested immediately,” it added.
For tricycle operators, the council fixed operational hours between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. daily. It also directed that “no passenger shall enter any keke without a visible and valid VIO Number boldly displayed on the body,” and that “keke covers must be properly tied, especially during rainfall.”
The council warned that any okada or keke operator arrested for violating the directives “shall be detained for seven days.”
It further cautioned that “any person caught stealing within the ATP premises shall be shot on sight,” urging all operators, unions, and residents to comply fully with the new measures.
In a related crime case, Operatives of the Delta State Police Command had arrested four suspected armed robbers and suspected drug peddlers in Asaba, the Delta State capital, PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday.
The spokesperson for the command, SP Bright Edafe, stated this in a statement in Asaba, the state capital.
He said, “On October 1, 2025, the DPO B Division Asaba, CSP Edewor Akponegware, led his surveillance team in a swift response to a distress report about a robbery incident around the BONSAAC area of Asaba, where a female victim was robbed at gunpoint by two male suspects.
