There was pandemonium on Thursday as policemen and motorcycle riders clashed in the Iyana Iba, Alaba, Agric, Barracks ends of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the clash started after men of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force) and the Rapid Response Squad visited the areas to enforce the state traffic law.
The operatives were said to have seized motorcycles along the expressway and also issued a notice to occupants at the Alaba Rago Market to vacate the premises.
Our correspondents learnt that some of the motorcyclists resisted the seizure of their motorcycles, which led to a face-off between them and the security agents.
Verified video clips posted on Twitter by residents captured the moments some of the motorcycle riders attacked policemen.
One of the clips, posted by Harrison Onuoha @chukwunaeduya, showed some cops shooting as protesters, said to be Hausa Okada riders, threw stones and sticks at the officers.
“See crowd of Aboki pursuing policemen; see the policemen running and shooting. Look at the road; everywhere, there is no road. Aboki holds sticks, police hold gun, but still running,” the man capturing the video said in Pidgin English.
Another resident, @emazkid7 captured commuters lamenting being stranded as some roads were blocked by the protesters.
“Aboki and policemen are seriously fighting at Iyana-Iba Ojo Lagos Badagry Expressway. Stay away from the axis,” the user said.
The user, while also filming himself, said, “Good morning everybody, anybody seen at Iyana Iba, Iyana Isashi, Alaba International, Tradefair, no movement anywhere. Better you stay back, Hausa and police are fighting, shooting gun everywhere.”
Also, a man, Gbemi Dennis, said there was tension at the Volks and Agboju end of the expressway.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said over 200 motorcycles were impounded by the police during the raid.
He said, “There was no clash, no casualty, nobody injured. Police impounded over 200 motorcycles and as expected, some of the motorcycle riders were unruly and confrontational, but nothing degenerated into a clash.
“The motorcyclists were just resisting the impoundment of their motorcycles. Before the current ban, there has been an existing ban.”
During another enforcement operation in the Lekki area of the state, task force officials said no fewer than 115 motorcycles were impounded.
The Chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, who was quoted in a statement, said the operation would be continuous.
“We will make sure that their activities are curtailed till they abide by the rules. They will never be above the law no matter how large their numbers are,” he added.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the operation, tagged, ‘Operation Kogberegbe,’ followed the recent lynching of a sound engineer, David Sunday, by suspected motorcyclists who attacked him and his colleagues, Frank and Philip, among others, on Admiralty Way, Lekki.
The Chairman, Lekki Phase I Residents Association, Yomi Idowu, described the killing as “dastardly, animalistic and senseless.”
“We in Lekki Phase I cannot risk the lives of our people further. We are, therefore, taking proactive measures by banning the activities of Okada riders with immediate effect. We choose to live and say no to Okada on our roads and inner streets,” he added.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the seizure of commercial motorcycles by the task force would continue despite the June 1 deadline issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for full enforcement of the ban in six LGAs.
The statement read in part, “The deadline does not invalidate the provisions of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, which states that ‘no person shall ride, drive or propel a motorcycle or tricycle on a major highway within the state, and any person in contravention of this provision commits an offence’ and will be made to face the law.”
Also, the state government gave occupants of the Alaba Rago Market a 14-day ultimatum to vacate the market.
The Commander, Rapid Response Squad, Olayinka Egbeyemi, and the task force chairman, Jejeloye, met the occupants to deliver the order.
Egbeyemi stated that emerging security reports from the area had shown that the market had become a den of criminals, stressing that the state government had concluded plans to modernise the place in the interest of residents.
A leader of the Hausa community in Lagos, Iliyasu Kira, in a telephone interview with PUNCH Metro, said no protest would be allowed from any member.
According to Kira, who is the Seriki of Shasha in the Alimosho LGA of Lagos, the decision of the government will sanitise the system.
He said, “Our people are complaining because the ban will affect them, but we are calming them down. We will not allow any protest because the government is superior and nobody should fight the government.
“There are bad eggs among Okada riders, while there are also good ones. But the bad eggs have implicated the good ones by not obeying traffic laws, riding Okada in the middle of the night, using one-way and carrying weapons, among others. We can only appeal to the government again to reconsider its decision.”
Asked whether the association of Seriki Hausawa in Lagos had met since the fresh ban on Okada by the government, Kira said they had yet to meet on the matter.
The Seriki Hausa of Ajah, Ibrahim Ngoma, said he was dialoguing with his subjects.
Ngoma said, “We can’t protest; it is the law of Lagos State, and we will follow the law. We won’t allow that.”
Some Okada riders, who spoke to our correspondents, said the ban would affect their means of livelihood.
A motorcyclist at Berger, Folorunsho Peters, while appealing to the state government to reverse the ban, said it would affect a lot of households.
Another motorcyclist, who gave his name simply as Idowu, said, “I know that there is nothing that can be done once the government has made a decision, but the majority of us are living in fear, and uncertain about what the future holds once this ban takes effect. I don’t know what will happen to us or how we will survive this.”
A resident in the Ogba area, Mathew Adeboye, commended the government for the ban.
The Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State declined comments on the matter.
Story by Kayode Oyero, Deji Lambo, Sodiq Oyeleke, Segun Adewole, Farida Mohammed, Olamide Famuwagun, Deborah Dan-Awoh
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