NJOMACS

The study examined Okada riders' perception of police enforcement of the commercial motorcycle (Okada) ban in Abuja within the context of law enforcement public relations and communication strategies. Guided by the Excellence Theory of Public Relations and the Perception Theory, the research adopted a mixed-method triangulation approach combining a survey of 390 respondents with in-depth interviews involving key union officials. Descriptive and thematic analyses were used to interpret the quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Results indicated that 89% of the respondents perceived police enforcement practices as unprofessional and inconsistent with community-oriented policing, thereby undermining mutual trust and cooperation. Interview insights reinforced these findings, revealing perceptions of procedural unfairness and limited stakeholder engagement. The study concludes that such perceptions reflect deficiencies in police public relations communication and centralised engagement structures. It recommends the decentralisation of police public relations functions and the adoption of participatory communication strategies to enhance public confidence and cooperative law enforcement.