Commercial Motorcycle operators popularly known as Okada riders yesterday clashed with the Police at the Ikpakodo area of Ikorodu, Lagos and set a patrol vehicle ablaze.
The Okada riders who were protesting the alleged killing of their colleagues by the police attempted to burn the Ibeshi Police Post, but they were resisted by the police who fired into the air to scare them away.
The Okada rider riders alleged that one of their colleagues was chased into a ditch by the police and he died on the spot.
The angry Okada riders and some sympathizers attempted to burn the Ibeshe police post but were resisted by the police who fired sporadically into the air and dispersed the mob.
An Okada rider,Naza Ogbe ,said that on Tuesday night an Okada rider was carrying a passenger and he was flagged down by some policemen for alleged #100 toll,but the rider refused to stop and a police patrol team went after him in a hot pursuit and the Okada man and his passenger fell inside a ditch and died on the spot while his passenger was seriously injured.
Ogbe said:” As soon as the police team noticed that the Okada rider is dead, they abandoned him and the injured passenger in the ditch. This morning (Yesterday), when we heard what happened, we decided to stage a protest to the Ibeshi police post to register our displeasure on how we are being treated like animals and the police opened fire on us,so out of anger, some aggrieved persons suspected to be hoodlums set a patrol vehicle on fire”.
In a swift reaction, Lagos State Police Command said it has arrested 62 suspects in connection with the burning of the patrol vehicle and said that outside for charging the suspects to the court, they would be surcharged to pay for the damaged vehicle.
In a statement, police public relations for the state ,SP Chike Oti said :”The command notes with regret the unfortunate burning of a police patrol van stationed at a black spot in Ibeshe, Ipakodo area of Ikorodu, Lagos state by irate motorcyclists popularly called Okada riders, today, 30/05/2018, at about 10.45am..
“The incident was occasioned by an encounter between policemen manning the black spot and an Okada man plying the routes way beyond Lagos state approved time of 10 pm. As he approached the police pin down point, the police team observed that he was carrying a passenger with a big bag placed between him and the rider an so they flagged him down, but instead of obeying the police hand signal, the Okada man increased his speed in order to evade police scrutiny. Sadly, he ended up in a ditch and passed on. Meanwhile, his association with the suspicious bag vanished into the thin air.
“, Today, 30/05/18, at about 10 am, Okada riders sympathetic to their late colleague, mobilized in their thousands and attempted to burn the Ibeshe Police Post. They were resisted. So they moved and found a softer target which was a police van stationed at a known black spot in Ibeshe and set it ablaze.
“In view of this incident, the police authorities in Lagos state wishes to warn all those with the penchant to burn, destroy or loot its property/ armory, that henceforth the Command will be compelled to use all lawful means including the use of firearms to protect such properties and defend its personnel.The police in Lagos will no longer stand by and watch hoodlums destroy government property worth millions of Naira for whatever reason.
“Any group of persons with complaints against the police action must toe the civilized option of registering their complaints with the police authorities for appropriate action.
“The CP Lagos has directed that the 63 Okada riders arrested for burning the police vehicle should charge to court for arson. He has also directed the OC Legal to file a motion to a court of competent jurisdiction to surcharge the suspects for the purchase of another police patrol vehicle”.
