Some angry commercial
motorcyclists on Wednesday set ablaze a police patrol vehicle at Ibeshe in
Ikorodu area of Lagos in retaliation to a cyclist’s death allegedly caused by
some policemen.
Eyewitnesses told the News Agency
of Nigeria that the incident occurred at Baale junction in Owode area of Ibeshe
in Ikorodu area of Lagos.
The burnt patrol vehicle was,
however, attached to Ipakodo Police Station, another suburb of Lagos.
Sources said that trouble started
on Tuesday night when a patrol team from Ibeshe Division allegedly engaged one
of the motorcyclists in a hot chase for failure to pay an undisclosed amount.
“Following the refusal of the
deceased to pay the money, he was said to have been chased towards Ibeshe road
until he fell into a gutter with his motorcycle.
“The police team immediately ran
away with their vehicle, abandoning the fataly injured victim inside the ditch
“Other motorcyclists immediately
drove to the scene and moved the victim to a nearby hospital where he died.
“Following his death, his
colleagues mobilised themselves on Wednesday and attacked a police team they
sighted before setting the patrol van ablaze.
“The policemen ran for safety in
different direction back to the station located on NPA road, Ebute Ipakodo,”
witnesses said.
Chike Oti, the police spokesman
in Lagos, confirmed the incident, saying that 63 motorcyclists allegedly
involved in the burning of their vehicle have been arrested.
“The CP Lagos has directed that
the 63 Okada riders be arrested for burning the police vehicle and that they
should be charged to court for arson,” he said.
Mr Oti, a superintendent of
police, said the unfortunate incident happened at a black spot in Ibeshe, Ipakodo
area during an encounter between policemen manning the black spot and a
commercial motorcyclist plying the route.
“As he (motorcyclist) approached
the police pin down point, the police team observed that he was carrying a
passenger with a big bag placed between him and the rider.
“And so they flagged him down but
the motorcyclist increased his speed in order to evade police scrutiny.
“Sadly, he ended up in a ditch
and passed on. Meanwhile his associate with the suspicious bag vanished into
the thin air,” he said.
Mr Oti noted that the riders
being sympathetic to their late colleague mobilised in their thousands and
attempted to burn the Ibeshe Police Post but were resisted.
He said they then moved and found
a softer target which was a police van stationed at a known black spot in
Ibeshe and set it ablaze.
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