Trouble brewed in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos yesterday after a clash between ‘okada’ riders and a combined team of policemen and members of the Lagos State Traffic and Management Authority (LASTMA), following a raid.
After a raid by the patrol teams, ‘okada’ riders went on a rampage, promising to attack any traffic official sighted.
Riders beat two officers of the LASTMA controlling traffic before they were rescued by onlookers and members of the Ojodu-Berger chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. They also used a traffic box to block the Roundabout.
According to the riders, their anger stemmed from the fact that they were not violating any rules as regards restricted routes and thus were being harrassed unfaily.
However, the chairman of the Ojodu-Berger Park of the NURTW,Tokunbo Seriki said the police were only on a “sanitising” exercise across parks in the area.
‘‘I was told that a fight was about to break between the LASTMA officers and the Okada riders, so I quickly moved in with my officers,” he said. “This axis is known for peace and we will not compromise the peace for anything. We will control the traffic till we are sure the officers are safe.”