On Saturday morning, a tragic incident occurred in the Agege area of Lagos State, where an irate mob of commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders, attacked a team of police officers, resulting in the death of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who was part of the Lagos State Police Command.
The deceased officer had led a police team to respond to an accident along WEMCO Junction by Mobil Road, Agege. The accident involved a truck and an Okada rider, who had reportedly been knocked down. However, upon the arrival of the police to evacuate the truck involved in the accident, they were met with fierce resistance from a large group of Okada riders. The riders, enraged by the incident, demanded that the truck be set on fire.
The Lagos State Police Command’s spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the unfortunate event and expressed dismay over the unwarranted killing of the officer. Hundeyin disclosed that the police had received a distress call at about 1:40 am concerning the accident between the Okada rider and the truck. Preliminary investigations suggested that the Okada rider had collided with the trailer, which led to his death.
While attempting to evacuate the truck from the scene, the Okada riders launched an aggressive attack on the police officers. During the chaos, the ASP, who was 46 years old, was struck on the head and died instantly. The driver of the truck managed to escape amidst the turmoil.
Hundeyin further revealed that five suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident, and the police are currently conducting a manhunt for other individuals involved in the attack.
This tragic event has sparked concerns over the rising tension between law enforcement officers and commercial motorcyclists in Lagos.
