By Evelyn Usman
Ejigbo and Isolo areas of Lagos were recently thrown into pandemonium, following the invasion by  stern  looking policemen,  later discovered to be from the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele, Lagos.

The policemen reportedly seized several tricycles otherwise known as Keke  Napep. In a bid to avoid the seizure, some  riders, who attempted to flee the scene, had  head-on collision with each other,while passers-by and commuters sustained  injuries in their attempt to avoid being hit by the tricycles.

However, when the dust settled, it was discovered that the invasion  was not unconnected with the on-going feud between  tricycle operators  and members of the National Union of  Road Transport Workers (NURTW), over the latter’s alleged plan to forcefully take over  operation of tricycles in the state, an attempt which met the former’s resistance.

The matter, is, however,  in  court. But there is twist to the whole issue as the Three Wheelers Beneficiaries/Operators Association of Nigeria  has accused some policemen of being used by NURTW to harass it.

Chairman of the association, Comrade Moses Buhari, disclosed that himself and other executive members of the association were  “unjustly detained at the Fed SARS after the invasion.”

Condemning the action, he  stated  that  the association would not  tolerate any act that might jeopardize the interest of its members.

Buhari  therefore,  called on the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar,  to call his men to order, even as he appealed to  Governor Babatunde  Fashola to come to the association’s aid by curbing the  activities of the  NURTW  and other groups fomenting trouble with the  tricycle operators group  with a view to enabling a peaceful environment in the state.

Buhari , also described as untrue report that the association was planing to go on strike in support of the on-goping court case between commercial motorcyclists and the Lagos State Government, staying emphatically that “ we never planned or even thought of such. Those carrying are detractors and enemies of the association whose intention is to tarnish the image of the association because of the cordial relationship existing between it and the state government.