Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The sun had just set over Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, when another commercial motorcyclist, known locally as an Okada rider, picked up a passenger who would become his executioner. By the time the Maghrib prayer had ended and the Isha prayer had begun, the rider was dead, his motorcycle gone, and his family left to mourn a breadwinner who had simply been trying to earn a living. This scene has played out at least ten times in the past two months, according to the Lafia Branch Chairman of the National Association of Okada Riders, Uba Yahaya, who told Daily Trust on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, that ten commercial motorcyclists have been killed in the state capital, with all their motorcycles snatched by attackers.
Yahaya, who said he personally attended the funerals of all ten victims, described the attacks as brutal and methodical. In one case, a rider was hit with a club along the bypass. In another, a rider was stabbed straight to the heart and had his skull smashed. Some riders who survived the attacks were admitted to hospitals with serious injuries, but their motorcycles were still taken. The chairman lamented that security in the area had worsened again despite recent steps taken by the state government that initially brought some relief. “People experienced some relief, didn't they? But because people relaxed, now the problems have started increasing again,” Yahaya stated.
The attackers have adopted increasingly sophisticated tactics to trap their victims. Yahaya alleged that criminals now operate by pretending to be passengers or mechanics, and some have even begun wearing commercial motorcycle jackets recently distributed to riders to deceive their victims. He recounted a recent incident where a criminal wearing a rider's jacket deceived another motorcyclist. “One sat behind the motorcycle, and the two deceivers were on the bike. That's how they continued to beat him. In the end, he barely escaped, and they took the motorcycle and ran away,” he narrated. Yahaya also alleged that a lone gunman in a flowing gown has been terrorising riders behind the Government House and has snatched no fewer than five motorcycles. “He uses a gun; if he shows you the gun, if you don't give him the bike, he'll pull out the gun. Even during the day, he does this work all alone!” he said.
Most of the attacks now happen at night, particularly between the Maghrib prayer and the Isha prayer, though some occur during the day. The victims are often lured with promises of unusually high fares before being taken to isolated locations. Abduljalal Muhammad, a relative of one of the victims, recounted how his younger brother, Yusuf Muhammad, was shot and killed while working as a commercial motorcyclist in Lafia. According to Abduljalal, his brother picked up a passenger and was waiting for his payment when the attackers shot him. “They will hold a short gun and point it at you while you're waiting for your payment. They will shoot at your head,” he said. The killing occurred along Makurdi Road after Housing Estates. Abduljalal said the area has become dangerous for Okada riders, adding that another relative was also shot in the same area but survived.
The Nasarawa State Police Command has urged riders to remain vigilant and avoid late-night operations. Police spokesman SP Ramhan Nansel said criminals sometimes lure riders with promises of unusually high fares before taking them to secluded areas. He also encouraged victims and residents to promptly report suspicious activities and attacks to security agencies to assist investigations and the arrest of the perpetrators. Nansel, however, disclosed that some recent attacks on commercial motorcyclists had not been officially reported to the police.
The reported killings have renewed calls for stronger security measures across Lafia to protect commercial motorcyclists and curb motorcycle theft. Yahaya said the association is fully behind the government's move to reduce the movement of these night travels to address the killings and snatching. “We are doing the best we can,” he said, calling for urgent intervention.
For the families of the ten slain riders, the pain is immeasurable. Many of the victims, like Yusuf Muhammad, had travelled from other states, including Jigawa, to Nasarawa to work as commercial motorcyclists, hoping to earn a living and support their families. Instead, they met their deaths on the streets of Lafia, their bodies recovered by brave residents while security operatives reportedly did not visit the scene. As one relative put it, “By God, most of the task force officers didn't even go to that area, let alone see the body. We got the body through the effort of some brave young men”.
The situation in Lafia is a stark reminder of the daily dangers faced by commercial motorcyclists across Nigeria, who often work long hours in precarious conditions with little protection from the state. As the attacks continue and the bodies pile up, the question remains: how many more riders must die before the government takes decisive action to protect them?
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