Truck crushes Okada rider to death

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI
LAGOS—Irate commercial motorcyclists, popularly called, Okada riders, went on rampage yesterday in Akowonjo area of Alimosho Local Government when one of their colleagues was crushed to death by a fast moving articulated vehicle at Akowonjo roundabout.

The incident which occurred at about 6pm, resulted in traffic gridlock as motorists got stranded for hours.

According to eyewitness, the deceased simply identified as Rahman by his colleagues, who was about 27 years, was trying to evade arrest by the policemen who were on patrol in the area, apparently to enforce restriction of okada on that particular road as specified by the Lagos Traffic Law.

The victim was said to be a tailor, who used to run okada business in the evening.

A colleague and an eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Saheed, amidst tears, narrated thus; “He was coming from Shasha end of the road en-route Akowonjo round about after close of work as a tailor when he ran into the policemen on patrol”.

“Before then, he had only gone to make a U-turn from the same roundabout when he could not find a passenger to carry.

“In the process he ran into policemen and in an attempt to escape from the arrest he fell under the tyre of the articulated vehicle which crushed his skull  scattering the brain on the road.

“One of the policemen too while trying to run away from the scene had one of his legs hit by a moving vehicle from the opposite side of the road.

“Other okada riders who were watching  the development, immediately blocked the road and went after the police on patrol.”

It took a combined team of regular and anti-riot policemen to restore normalcy after shooting into the air to scare away the rampaging youths and okada riders.

The leader of the team of policemen who isn also the Commander of “ Area M” command,, Idimu, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Ibrahim Kaoje. pacified the public, describing the incident as unfortunate, urging the okoda riders and sympathisers on the need to maintain peace and order by not obstructing other people from going about their lawful businesses.

He said that the policemen are out to ensure security of lives and property of the citizens as well as ensure compliance to laid down rules and regulations without prejudice.