Police in Lagos, yesterday, impounded over 200 motorcycles in Ojo following the directive by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu banning commercial motorcyclists popularly known as Okada from plying in specified local councils in the state.

The operation led to a clash between the police and the Okada riders. The clash left many injured, while passers-by scampered to safety.2

The Guardian learnt that commercial motorcyclists were resisting the enforcement of the ban on their operations by the Lagos State government.

The state government had on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 issued a total ban on the activities of the Okada riders in six local government areas over the killing of a sound engineer, David Imoh, by suspected Okada riders at Lekki.

It was also gathered that policemen from the Onireke Police Station, Ojo, had on Wednesday impounded some motorcycles and took them to their station.

The motorcyclists mobilised themselves and attacked the police station with stones and other weapons in an attempt to release the impounded motorcycles.

Policemen in the area shot sporadically into the air to disperse the recalcitrant motorcyclists. Confirming the situation, the Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said normalcy had returned to the local council after the clash.

He said: “We impounded some motorcycles and naturally, people resisted, others did not. Some of the people that caused trouble were arrested.”
“A combined team of anti-riot policemen and some soldiers were deployed to return normalcy to the area.

“We ensured that no police officer was injured or lost his life. So, we mobilised more men.  “Area commanders and Assistant commissioner of Police were part of the operation.

Guardian