Tension in Ogba-Lagos over killing of okada rider

One person has been reportedly shot dead in a clash between the police and commercial motorcycle operators in the Ogba area of Lagos State on Thursday night

This has caused panic and heightened the tension among the people in the community.

The shooting was said to have occurred when the motorcycle operators popularly called okada riders were trying to resist attempts by security operatives of the state task force to arrest them.

The task force personnel were trying to enforce the okada ban imposed by the Lagos State Government.

One of the three persons reportedly shot during the Thursday encounter was said to have died Friday morning, prompting other riders to embark on a protest, but they were subsequently dispatched by security agencies.

As at the time of filing this report, the state police command had deployed a detachment of mobile policemen and plain clothed officers to maintain law and order.

Daily Trust reported that two buses loaded with security agents in mufti were also mobilised to the area to restore peace.

Roads leading to Excellence Roundabout, Ogba Market and WAEC were blocked with vans of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) unit of the police.

All the shops in the major market were closed when a Daily Trust correspondent visited the place.

One of the shop owners, who identified himself as Olamide, told our correspondent that the clash occurred when policemen attempted to arrest an Okada rider.

He said the arrest was being carried out at a time the union leaders and other Okada riders had left the area.

He said in the ensuing confrontation, the policeman shot one Okada rider in the chest while another one was hit by stray bullet.

The eyewitness said, “Seriously I wasn’t there when it happened. I only got here this money and saw policemen everywhere.

“I later got to know that the policemen wanted to arrest the Okada riders, but they challenged them the time was not proper to seize their bike and that this is not a proper time.

“Then they said the policemen fired some shots. One has reportedly been killed while two others are in the hospital.”

He added that shooting still continued this morning.