The group claimed that officials of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences were harassing commercial motorcyclists who were mainly northerners.

The AYCF in a statement on Monday by its President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, said the task force had been invading homes of northerners and taking away their motorcycles, warning that this might spark reprisals against southerners in the North.

The group said, “We reliably gathered that using Gestapo style,  the Lagos Task Force officials have been invading homes of northerners in Lagos in ungodly hours of the night and carting away motorcycles while forcefully abducting the occupants and hauling them into detention.

“We dare say we have not seen this kind of impunity against northerners in recent years. It is even strange that this is coming from the South-West, a zone that expects the North to hand over the Presidency to it in 2023.”

Shettima asked the Lagos State Government and the task force to explain the legal and constitutional basis for their action, noting that many northerners in Oshodi were harassed and arrested.

He added, “We are deeply disturbed by this rather uncivilised conduct in the 21st century, happening in a supposedly cosmopolitan city like Lagos.”

The defendants were arraigned on offences bordering on driving against traffic, driving on the BRT corridor, plying the highway with motorcycles, and endangering the lives of other road users.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, who led the prosecution team, said the offences were punishable under Section 66 (b) of Lagos State Transport Law, 2012.

He said, “The present administration has zero-tolerance for the violation of the law. The state will continue to prosecute traffic offenders until sanity is restored on our roads and law-abiding citizens are allowed to commute without being impeded by unlawful individuals.”

Magistrate Omobola Salawu sentenced the defendants to 100 days of community service and fines ranging from N15,000 to N20,000.