Jare OLUKOTUN
Hundreds of the operators of commercial motorcycles popularly known and called ‘Okada’, Wednesday set a police patrol van ablaze in Ibeshe area of Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, following the death of one of their colleagues, who was allegedly killed by the police on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the angry riders burnt the patrol vehicle belonging to Ipakodo Police Station in Ikorodu, at Baale junction in Owode area of Ibeshe, after their failed attempt to attack the Police Post at Owode.
According to a source, the attack on the police van was as a result of the unfortunate development on Tuesday between some policemen from Ipakodo police station and the deceased okada man
It was alleged that the policemen chased the late okada rider after the he failed to stop and give them the sum of N100 which was the usual practice
While fleeing from the officer mounting the illegal road block, the deceased was said to have fell into a gutter with his bicycle whereby sustaining severe injuries.
It was also alleged that the police officers on seeing what befell the okada rider flee the scene, leaving him unattended to for several hours until his colleagues came to his rescue
He was said to have died in the hospital where his colleagues had rushed him to for medical attention.
Meanwhile, SP Chike Oti, Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, reacting to the unfortunate development said that the burning of the police van was regrettable.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Command noted with regret the unfortunate burning of a police patrol van stationed at a black spot in Ibeshe, Ipakodo area of Ikorodu, by irate motorcyclists, popularly called okada riders on Wednesday 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 10pm.
“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 and 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 associate with the suspicious bag vanished into the thin air.
“However, today, 30/05/18, at about 10am, Okada riders sympathetic to their late colleague, mobilised 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,” he said.
According to him, in view of this incident, the police authorities in Lagos warned all those with the penchant to burn, destroy or loot its property/armoury, that henceforth, the Command would be compelled to use all lawful means, including the use of firearms to protect such properties and defend its petsonnel.
“The police in Lagos will no longer standby 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 civilised option of registering their complaints with the police authorities for appropriate action,” he added.
He said the Commissioner of Police had directed that the 63 okada riders arrested for burning the police vehicle should be 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,” he stated.
