Okada Riders Protest Killing of Colleague in Ondo
Okada Riders Protest Killing of Colleague in Ondo
Hundreds of commercial motorcycle riders went on the rampage in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday, as they protested against the killing of two of their colleagues by a driver and a mobile policeman.
Newera News correspondent gathered that an Okada rider had been hit by a vehicle reportedly owned by the state Ministry of Agriculture at a junction in the Arakala area of Akure.
The driver of the vehicle, while fleeing the scene, reportedly injured another rider.
A source said Okada riders wanted to lynch the driver in front of the filling station he fled to when the mobile policeman, who was guarding the petrol station, made efforts to rescue the suspect.
The source said, “After the driver hit another man, he ran to the filling station and the policeman at the station tried to save him so that they would leave the station premises.
“The protesters turned to the policeman to attack him and he shot into the air to disperse them. But some of the protesters rushed at him to collect his gun; it was during that struggle that he shot one of them.”
The source explained that the cop immediately fled the scene to the A Division Police Station.
He said, “They broke the gate and threw stones into the building, while the policemen fled through the back gate.
“Some of the policemen even scaled the fence and ran away, while others struggled to take their vehicles from the premises of the station.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident, adding that peace had returned to the area.
She said, “The policeman in question is hospitalised now; he was seriously beaten by the mob. He was attached to the petrol station. After a driver knocked down and killed an Okada rider and injured another one, the policeman wanted to save the man from being mobbed, so they attacked him and he had to defend himself.”
Okada Riders account for over 10 million jobs in Nigeria.
Most Nigerian unemployed university graduates find solace in the commercial motorcycle business, also known as Okada.
However, many governments across the nation are prohibiting the use use of Motorcycles as a means of transportation due to its risky nature,
Many have been maimed and several others lost their lives while commuting on the bike,
