Okada riders protest, again, in Lagos

SOCIAL and economic activities were partially paralysed on Tuesday in continuation of Monday’s protest by commercial motorcyclists popularly known as okada riders in Lagos, to register their displeasure with the state government over the ban placed on their activities on some major roads in the state.

The men, in their hundreds, trooped into the popular Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, disrupting free flow of traffic at the Alakuko – Mosalashi and Kola axis of the road, chanting slogans.

But for the quick intervention of some mobile policemen who dispersed them with teargas at Kollington/AIT Bus Stop in the early hours of Tuesday, the okada riders had attempted to set another government commercial bus, commonly known as BRT, on fire.

According to an eyewitness, when the protesters sighted the BRT bus, they quickly rushed at the driver, beat him and later set the bus on fire, but added that the fire was put out by the mobile police officials who eventually dispersed them with teargas

Many other road users could not go scot free as some hoodlums hijacked the protest to rob some innocent and unsuspecting road users as well as market men and women around within the vicinity.


Meanwhile, some commercial drivers plying the road could not continue with their activities, while a few of them that attempted increased fares by 100 per cent. One of the witnesses told Nigerian Tribune that Alagbado to Oshodi was N300 as against the old N120 fare.

One of the mobile policemen who spoke with Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity disclosed that they were sent to maintain law and order within the vicinity, stressing that the okada riders should not have taken laws into their hands since they had approached a competent court of law to address the situation.

The policeman, who claimed that he was not competent enough to field questions from the press, affirmed that they had been warned against usage of bullet but noted emphatically that anyone of them that attempted to cause injury to others or refused to yield warning may face the music.

One of the commercial motorcyclists who simply identified himself as Chris said he regretted participating in the election that  brought the incumbent administration into power in the state, adding that all the policies made by the government of Governor Babatunde Fashola was anti-people.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Lagos State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, has advised okada riders in the state to stop destroying public properties, advising that vandalisation of properties would not solve their problem.

He explained that the state council and leadership of Motorcycle Operators of Lagos State (MOALS) are already discussing with the state government on how to iron out some of the issues agitating the minds of riders.

He said vandalising and destroying government’s properties would not solve the problem on the ground. "We are having discussion with the government and our governor is a listening governor. He would listen to our prayers.”

An okada rider was allegedly injured by policemen from Pen Cinema Police Station on Tuesday.

The reaction from angry okada riders led to reprisals on policemen around Agege area of the state.

There were, however, conflicting reports on the Tuesday morning incident which occurred along Ogunusi Road with some claiming that a motorcyclist died while others claimed he survived and escaped arrest.

Traders who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune said that policemen were executing the ban on okada in the area when the incident happened.

Some motorcyclists around Pen Cinema junction alleged that one of the policemen hit an unidentified okada rider with a baton resulting in the motorcyclist falling into a ditch.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the incident occurred around 9.00 on Tuesday morning when a team of policemen  was confiscating  motorcycles as directed by the state government.

It was gathered that an okada rider was struggling to escape from the policemen when one of them allegedly hit him with a baton.

The motorcyclist fell into a ditch close to AP Filling station and was reportedly severely injured, fuelling the rumour that he had died.

Angry commercial motorcyclists mobilised some other members and not only resisted the policemen, but also launched reprisals on some policemen.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident but denied that any policeman touched the okada rider.

She also denied the report that the okada man died or was severely injured, adding that the unidentified man escaped with his motorbike.

According to Braide, “the police were on patrol at Agege Pen Cinema. They were patrolling the area to ensure compliance to the ban placed on okada riders, but when the rider saw the police coming, he suddenly made a U-turn and started running and fell into a ditch."

She also claimed that "he later got up and moved on with his okada. He did not die.”