BOTMA: The agency will not tolerate underage driving in Maiduguri

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The general manager of the Borno State Traffic Management Agency (BOTMA), Eng. Baba Tijani, has said that his agency will not tolerate “underaged” kids driving keke napep in Maiduguri and environs.

The GM warned that the brazen display of wrongdoing by Keke Napep was becoming alarming, especially with lots of underage kids being caught committing such crimes.

The Borno traffic management agency boss vowed to bring owners of such erring Keke napeps to book to check their reckless behavior on the streets of the Maiduguri metropolis and beyond.

Tijani, who spoke exclusively during the 2025 Federal Road Safety Corp RS12.2 Borno special marshals sectoral workshop, said that his management is aware of the dangerous excesses of the Keke Napep riders in the town and has never taken it lightly with them.

“I can assure you that we have details of all the excesses of the Keke Napep drivers in the city, and we are not joking with them. As long as we have their details, we can trace and deal with them, and the rest is history.

“I can assure you that there is no keke that is not registered by us regardless of their high numbers. For as long as they are registered in our data bank, we know how to trace them. Even if the keke is used for robbery, I assure you, we know how to sanction them for as long as they are within the state.

“By the way, it is not true that we are not capable of handling them in spite of their numbers and the enormous nature of their offenses. We do not overlook the misdemeanor of Keke Napep drivers in Maiduguri no matter how small they are.”

He told this reporter that under his watch kids who are under 18 were totally forbidden from driving keke napeps in Maiduguri metropolis, adding that residents should also avoid such keke napeps because they are obviously a death trap for commuters.

Eng. Tijani stressed that unless drivers are 18 years or above, they are not permitted to drive a keke napep in the entire Borno state, adding that only stable adults are registered as drivers of napep in their data bank used to sanction erring ones.

Tijani noted that for the remaining part of the year, his men will monitor the main roads in the metropolis thoroughly during the yuletide period to force the napep boys to conform to expected norms and behavioral patterns.

On staff strength, he added that the agency has been making use of what it has, hinting that “we have over 300 personnel in MMC and Jere alone, and we are trying to do our best with what we have even with the confusion at the Custom and Gamboru axis of the town.”

“We are aware of the challenges in many areas, and we believe that very soon the customs area will be handled. We are aware that the area is heavily congested in terms of traffic because the tunnel from one side to the other is not used, but I wish to assure commuters that all this will become history soon.

On the misbehavior of some of his staff, he noted that checks and balances have been placed within the system by management, adding that their provost marshals in white caps are out to oversee the erring staff and will send feedback to us on the next step.

Eng. Tijani called on the general public to cooperate with him and his management team by reporting erring marshals as and when wrongs were committed, adding that as soon as they are reported, action will be taken against such officials.

To press his point home, the GM revealed that about 30 erring marshals have been sacked so far from the agency, stressing that management does not drop their guards when it concerns portraying them in a bad light.

Speaking on the welfare of his staff, the GM agreed that there was an urgent need to boost the salaries of his marshals, as they are quite lower than the current minimum package.

He, however, announced that he was not leaning on his oars concerning their welfare because the matter has been tabled before the executive, and the governor is about to work on it, thereby taking care of his people.

Tijani regretted that they do not have a board that would assist them in putting their challenges on the front burner but is grateful to the media for doing justice to the plight of his people.

BOTMA: The agency will not tolerate underage driving in Maiduguri