Tension rose in Lagos State as commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders, killed a police inspector during the enforcement of a ban on Okada operation along the busy Apapa Oshodi Expressway. Reports revealed that violence erupted in the area when the police officers attempted to arrest some of the commercial motorcyclists who resisted them with cutlasses and other objects, resulting in injuries to other police officers.
According to eyewitnesses, the enforcement of the Lagos State government traffic law, which banned Okada operations on expressways in the state, led to a clash between the policemen and the motorcyclists. The clash eventually led to the death of an officer and the injury of others. One eyewitness named Gabriel stated, “The police officers have been coming here to arrest these Okada riders. But today, it is like the motorcyclists prepared for them because immediately the policemen shot at them they came out with their weapons like iron rods, cutlasses, broken bottles and fought back.’’
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Lagos police command, Ben Hundeyin, said that the police officers from Isolo Division came under attack from motorcycle riders at Cele Bus Stop. The attack led to the death of one police inspector and serious injury to the divisional police officer (DPO). He disclosed that two suspects were arrested while 41 motorcycles were impounded, adding that the command would not be deterred from carrying out its mandate of enforcing duly passed laws.
Hundeyin implored residents to remain law-abiding, noting that riders and passengers arrested on prohibited routes would face the law. He also warned that any form of attack on police officers would no longer be tolerated.
The incident has once again highlighted the tension between the Lagos State government and commercial motorcyclists who have been banned from plying some major roads in the state. The government insists that the ban is necessary for safety and security reasons, while the Okada riders complain that it has negatively affected their livelihoods. It is essential to note that this is not the first time that a clash between Okada riders and law enforcement agents has led to violence in Lagos State.