Police clash with motorcycle riders in Lagos

Police clash with motorcycle riders in Lagos

Apprehension gripped the Isheri area of Lagos State on Tuesday evening following a clash between police officers and motorcycle riders.

The incident, which occurred around 8:30 pm, reportedly involved officers from the Idimu Police Station attempting to impound motorcycles at a park where riders were waiting for passengers.

The officers, who arrived in a minibus locally known as Korope, met resistance from the riders, leading to a confrontation.

An eyewitness, Olusoji Aina, described the altercation as heated, with the windshield of the police minibus shattered during the scuffle.

The eyewitness also alleged that the officers made away with one of the motorcycles during the incident.

He said, “When the policemen arrived, some riders fled with their motorcycles. The unlucky ones were caught on the spot but refused to let go of their motorcycles. That was how they started to drag with the policemen. They became confrontational and clashed with the policemen. It was during this that some boys who solidarised with the motorcycles broke the windshield of the minibus they came with.”

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During a visit to the spot on Wednesday morning, our correspondent saw pieces of the broken windshield littered on the ground.

A motorcycle rider who spoke on the condition of anonymity accused the police of raiding the park regularly.

He said, “We had been experiencing this long before now. The policemen will come around, and seize our motorcycles. We end up going to the station the following day where they ask us to pay a certain amount of money before releasing them to us. I managed to escape when they arrived yesterday.”

Another rider who identified himself simply as Wasiu said the park where the incident occurred was with a designated route.

“We are still permitted to work around the time they came. Also, we only shuttle between Council and Powerline and this is a designated route. So, we don’t know our offence other than just for them to come at any time and raid our park.”

When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer of Idimu Police Station, Gladys Faniyi, denied knowledge of the incident.

She said, “I am not aware my men were involved in such an incident. I will find out. Though motorcycle operators are fond of plying non-designated routes. That is why we arrest them.”

Earlier reports said that landlords and residents of the community lamented what they described as the arbitrary arrest and assault on people in the community by men of the police division.

The divisional police officers were also accused of extorting money from motorcycle riders over the failure of their union leaders to remit certain fees to them.

On Friday, December 2, 2022, around 8.25 pm, PUNCH Metro observed as the officers, numbering about 15, stormed the Powerline unit of the motorcycle operators and beat up some of the riders.

The policemen, who arrived in two commercial buses, were also seen assaulting traders and passengers who attempted to intervene, as they made away with six motorcycles.

Police clash with motorcycle riders in Lagos