Okada Riders Attack Police Officers For Preventing Them From Riding Against Traffic

CHUKA UBAH

Police Officers from Olosan Division led by SP Ayodele Arogbo had a nasty experience while attempting to prevent motorcycle operators also known as ‘Okada riders’ from riding against traffic along Oshodi-Mile 2 expressway in Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS confirmed that hundreds of the riders, mostly from Niger Republic, and other areas resisted the Police and brutally assaulted them; many of the officers sustained various degrees of injuries in the process.
The incident happened at Five Star area of the expressway, where they usually rode against traffic without regard to traffic laws of the State thereby causing gridlock on the expressway.

Apart from attacking the Police officers, they brought out old vehicle tyres and set burn fire on the expressway threatening violence.
However, the Police mobilized, repelled their attack, arrested nine of them, impounded over 20 motorcycles and took them to the Task Force office.
The arrested suspects included: Isaiah Sani, 21, Taruk Ijafia, 23, Bulari Uba, 20, Hassan Abuba, 35, Ibrahim Nurah, 25 and Sahadu Ishaku 27.
Others are Isah Musa, 33, Aliu Ibrahim,26 and Kala Halma, 27.
They were later arraigned before the Ogba Magistrates Court for conspiracy, causing violence, riotous assembly with offensive weapons, malicious damage and assaulting Police officers.
They pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Inspector A. Edet, asked the Court to fix a date for hearing since they pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that they actually committed the alleged offence.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. K.O Ogundare, granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum.
They were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail conditions. The matter was adjourned till 14th November, 2019.
P.M.EXPRESS investigation revealed that the Okada riders have turned to security risk in Lagos following the manner they attacked Police officers in the State.
Recently, the same Okada riders invaded Ejigbo Police Division and attacked Police officers injuring many of them.
It was gathered that the action of the riders have become a security threat in Lagos State as some believed that they were backed by some top Police officers in authority which our reporter was yet to confirm.