3 Killed As Police, Okada Riders Clash In Lagos

This picture taken on June 5, 2013
shows Nigerian police part of the joint
forces in Borno state posing prior to a
patrol in Maiduguri. (Photo Credit: AFP
PHOTO / Quentin Leboucher)
There was a commotion in Iyana school
bus stop on the LASU-Iba Road as three
people were killed in the area.
Earlier reports, which have been proven
wrong had it that motorcycle riders in
the area attacked police officers in the
area.
On the contrary, investigations reveal
that opolice officers from the Isashi
division had stormed the Okada park at
the bus stop, seizing bikes belonging to
the motorbike operatives, sparking
violent resistance as the cyclists claim
that the ban on bikes on major road did
not apply to that part of the state.
The ensuing melee escalated as the
police officers began shooting randomly
which resulted in the death of 3
individuals.
Vanguard reports:
A food vendor (Iya Bukola), who
claimed to have witnessed the
incident, told Sunday Vanguard the
story: "We were all here when
policemen came to the park and
started seizing bikes from the
Okada riders. When the Okada
riders resisted, they started shooting
sporadically and they killed two
people instantly while several others
escaped with gun shot wounds.
When the shooting started I ran out
of my shop for fear of being hit by
stray bullet. It was while I was
running that I fell down and
sustained this injury on my leg", she
narrated.
Lamenting, Abimbola Aliu, a
commercial cyclist, said, "See how
they have changed the story, they
said we attacked them. Is it possible
for Okada riders to attack the
police? The law of restriction on
certain routes by the state
government does not affect this
place. So when they said they were
attacked by commercial bike
operators at a black spot, they
should please show the world
where the black spot is at Iyana
School Bus Stop. We have been
enduring all this intimidation and it
has become unbearable. One of the
victims was at the car wash when a
bullet hit him".
Confirming the report, Lagos State
Deputy Police Public Relations
Officer (DPPRO), Mr Lelma Kolle,
said police men from Isashi Division
were detailed to storm a black spot
after receiving series of complaints
about criminal activities of hoodlums
and, on their way, some Okada
riders, who misconstrued the
mission of the police, started pelting
the team with stones and the police
avoiding confrontation with the
Okada riders, retreated and ran
back to the station
Kolle said the Okada riders pursued
the police to the station and
attempted to burn down the
station.
He said to prevent them from
carrying out their dastardly act, the
police fired into the air to scare
them away but two of the Okada
men were shot in the legs.
"As I am talking to you, the two
injured persons are responding to
treatment in hospital", he said.
He said that police preliminary
investigation showed that some
hoodlums who cashed in on the
situation later engaged in a free for
all and one of them was stabbed to
death.
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