Mob burn police van in Lagos over Okada rider’s death

A mob yesterday set ablaze a police patrol van in Ikorodu area of Lagos while protesting the killing of a commercial motorcycle operator in the area.

It was learnt that some policemen attached to Ikpakodo Division, Lagos Command allegedly chased a commercial motorcycle rider until he crashed into a gully for refusing to part with N100.

It was also learnt that the policemen retreated when the enormity of what had happened dawned on them.

Kamoru Shonubi, an operator in the area alleged that the policemen left the Okada rider in the ditch in a pool of blood.

He said, “When we heard the news, some of us rushed to the scene where we found the deceased lying helplessly. He was rejected at the first hospital where we took him to. It is the second hospital that referred us to the Ikorodu General Hospital. But the man died before we got to general hospital.”

Another rider, Mukaila Gbolaham, said the news of the rider’s death sparked off instant protest. He said the protest started on Tuesday night and that it took a dangerous dimension on Wednesday.

According to him, the protest was hijacked by hoodlums as they took advantage to vent their anger on the police. He added that it has been a usual practice of policemen from division to extort the Okada riders on daily basis at the junction once it was 9.00pm.

The police spokesman, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident in a telephone chat, but did not give details.

In a press statement later released by Oti, he said the commissioner of police had directed that the 63 Okada riders arrested for burning the police vehicle should be charged to court for arson.

He has also directed the OC Legal to file a motion to a court of competent jurisdiction to surcharge the suspects for the purchase of another police van.