Motorcycle riders burn police van, attack officer over death of colleague

- Motorcycle riders attacked a police station in Ikorodu and attempted to burn it down, following the death of their colleague

- After being prevented from carrying out the act, they proceeded to burn a police van and attacked an officer

- The attackers blamed the policemen for being responsible for the death of their colleague who had an accident as he tried to evade a checkpoint

- 63 okada riders have been arrested for burning the police vehicle and would be charged to court for arson

A mob made up of motorcycle riders attacked the Ibeshe police station in Ikorodu, Lagos with stones, bottles and attempted to burn it down, on Wednesday, May 30.

The attack came following the death of a motorcycle rider, identified as Paul, aka Baba Ezine, in the early hours of Wednesday; and residents claimed the death was caused by the Police, Punch reports.

Legit.ng gathers that policemen attached to the station however fired shots and prevented the mob from carrying out their action; and reinforcements were also called in. After retreating, the mob however attacked a policeman in sight and also burnt a patrol vehicle in the area.

Narrating how the motorcycle driver had met his demise, a resident said the Ebonyi state indigene had gotten involved in an accident as he tried to evade a police checkpoint.

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She said: “The man was taking a passenger somewhere on Tuesday (May 29) when he ran into the Police checkpoint. He tried to evade the policemen, but crashed into a gutter. People said the policemen chased him into the gutter.

“After the accident, the Police operatives, instead of taking him to a hospital, left him in the gutter. They, however, seized his motorcycle, which they took to their station.

“The man’s friends later took him to a hospital where he died this morning (Wednesday). The man’s kinsmen and colleagues from Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, mobilised and took his corpse to the palace of the Baale of Owode, who urged them to be calm and promised to do something.

“From the palace, they took his remains to the Police station. The Police fired shots into the air to scare them away. That was when they found a Police van which they burnt."

Another resident disclosed that the deceased had recently lost his wife and mother.

The resident said: “Paul’s wife died in September 2017, while his mother, who came from the village to take care of their five children, died in February 2018. Since then, he lived alone with the children in the Owode Labake area.”

A community leader who spoke on the condition of anonymity alleged that innocent residents had been arrested by the Police, in a bid to identify those who burnt the patrol vehicle.

The public relations officer of the Lagos state Police Command, SP Chike Oti, however stated that the attack on the station was unwarranted, and that those responsible would be brought to book.

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In his words: “The Lagos state Police Command notes with regret, the unfortunate burning of a Police patrol van stationed at a black spot in Ibeshe, in the Ipakodo area of Ikorodu, Lagos state, by irate motorcyclists, aka okada riders, around 10.45am today (Wednesday).

“The incident was occasioned by an encounter between policemen manning the black spot and an okada rider plying the route way beyond the Lagos state approved time of 10pm.

“As he approached the police pin down point, the Police team observed that he carried a passenger with a big bag placed between him and the rider, and so they flagged him down.

“But instead of obeying the Police signal, the okada man increased his speed in order to evade Police scrutiny. Sadly, he ended up in a ditch and passed on, while his associate with the suspicious bag vanished into thin air.

“However, around 10am today, okada riders sympathetic to their late colleague mobilised in their thousands and attempted to burn the Ibeshe Police post. They were resisted.

“So, they moved and found a softer target, which was a Police van stationed at a known black spot in Ibeshe, and set it ablaze.

“The CP Lagos has directed that the 63 okada riders arrested for burning the Police vehicle should be charged to court for arson. He has also directed the officer-in-charge, legal, to file a motion to a court of competent jurisdiction to surcharge the suspects for the purchase of another Police patrol vehicle.”

Oti further stated that destruction of Police property would no longer be condoned; and that in the future, firearms may be used to stop such actions.

He called on residents to register their grievances against Police action with the authorities for appropriate action.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a policeman caused the death of two passersby in Oyo state after his attempt to hijack a truck loaded with firewood failed.

The incident angered residents of the area who made attempts to attack the Police station where the officer operated from.

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Source: Legit.ng