A mixed squad of riot officers and soldiers deployed to restore normalcy in the area seized around 200 commercial motorcycles belonging to the suspects.
Hundreds of commercial motorbike operators, often known as Okada riders, were arrested in Lagos’ Onireke Police Station on Thursday for allegedly intending to cause unrest.
A mixed squad of riot officers and soldiers deployed to restore normalcy in the area also seized over 200 commercial motorcycles belonging to the suspects.
The riders were reportedly protesting the confiscation of some motorcycles by Division police officers in the name of implementing state government legislation prohibiting Okada from operating on major routes in the state.
Following the arrest of some motorcycles on the Mile 2-Badagry expressway in Lagos, violence erupted as early as 7 a.m. yesterday.
One of the riders, Ali Abdul, said the police officers’ actions were uncalled for because Ojo Local Government was not one of the governor’s six LGAs named.
While the officers fired multiple shots into the air to disperse the motorcyclists, the riders pelted them with stones, daring the officers to pursue them.
Several riders were arrested, according to Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident. Policemen deployed to the trouble zone also impounded about 200 motorcycles.
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