Police Clash With Motorcycle Riders In Ojo, Clampdown On Others In Parts Of Lagos

By Uzoma Akobundu
Ojo Police Division led by CSP Abubakar Umoru, with the support of Okoko division, Rapid Response Squad and neighbouring divisions as well as army officers from Ojo cantonment, on Thursday morning dispersed hundreds of miscreants and motorcycle riders who blocked Lagos-Badagry Expressway to protest the enforcement of Lagos State Traffic Laws.
It was on a day the police embarked on massive clampdown on Okada operators in Lagos in keeping with the order tom restrict their operation in certain parts of the state.
The Ojo riders along with miscreants as at 7:00 a.m. converged close to LASU main gate threatening to block the expressway in protest against plying the expressway, as stipulated in Lagos State Traffic Law.
Their presence on the highway in large numbers drew the attention of Umoru, who speedily mobilised his officers along with Alhaji Usman Kanua, Chairman of the Motorcycle riders in the area.
The team appealed to the riders to cease action and eschew actions capable of causing chaos in the area. The protesters agreed and dispersed peacefully.
The protesters were to re-emerge later in greater numbers creating bonfire and blocking both sides of the expressway.
The protesters who were wielding dangerous objects and hauling stones at police and passing vehicles, which shattered the windscreens of several vehicles, also injured some police officers.
It was at this point that the DPO called for reinforcement from other police divisions and Ojo Cantonment of the Nigerian Army.
At about few minutes to 10:00 a.m., the team had successfully dispelled the rioters while normalcy had since returned to the area.
It was gathered that contrary to Government’s restriction of okada (motorcycle) on the highway, okada riders make fast money cashing in on the road construction on the route, to charge between N500 to N1000 from Ojo to Trade Fair Complex.
In parts of Ikeja and Ogba, several of the okada riders had their motorcycles impounded by government officials as the development saw most of them disappearing from the roads and popular streets for fear of being arrested and their bike seized.