‘Police killed our members, poured acid on us’

Commercial bike riders, otherwise known as also known as Okada riders, at the Iyana-School Bus Stop, along LASU-Iba Express Road, Lagos State, have revealed how some policemen allegedly shot at them, killing three of their members and also poured acid on them.

The motorcycle riders, who embarked on a protest on Saturday, were armed with placards, decrying actions against them. They claimed that on Friday when the police swooped on them, three of their members were killed, 12 injured and about seven persons affected acid allegedly sprayed by the police.

According to them, policemen from Isashi Police Station attacked them on Friday, intending to seize their motorbikes because they were plying some certain routes in the axis.

The motorbike riders resisted the seizure and the policemen started shooting sporadically into the air. Unfortunately, the bullets got three among the motorbike riders.

One of the motorcyclists said: “We want government intervention. Policemen from Isashi division are always troubling us. On Friday, they reportedly gunned down three of our members.”

Investigation reveals that the motorbike riders were under the impression that the law barring commercial motorcyclists from plying certain routes in Iyano-Iba had been reviewed by the Lagos State Government.

The policemen were further alleged to have shot sporadically into the air without minding if the bullets hit anyone.

“They were just shooting anyhow! There was confusion and we all scampered to different directions for safety. They shot Laide who died instantly,” recalled one of the motorcyclists. “The policemen took his motorbike to their station without even waiting to check if he was dead or not. Rather than check on Laide, they continued to shoot, leading to the shooting of two other people. They died.”

The policemen were alleged to have further spray acid on the riders. One Mr. Giwa Gafaru and six others were affected.

Jamiu Giwa said: “The policemen came to our park on that Friday at about 9am to arrest us, but we all disagreed because the state governor said we shouldn’t allow any police to harass us on this road gain. That we’re now free to work. In fact, he gave us helmet.”

Gafaru said:  “We normally settle all the units Divisional Police Officers (DPO) with the sum of N5,000 and other six patrol team N1,000 each every Friday, but now that the state governor has said we could ply the roads, why should continue to settle.”
A trader at the park lamented: “The policemen shot my innocent customer who did not know anything about what happened. He’s not even a motorbike rider in this area. He was just riding past when they shot him.”
The fuming motorcyclists said they were sick and tired of the pressure from policemen. “The policemen are from Area K, Morogbo Command, but we’re under Area E, Festac Command,” they said.

One of the policemen identified as Mr. Leke reportedly said: “We came here today to kill, not to seize any motorcycle!” He then allegedly pointed his gun at a motorcyclist named Mr. Taiye, but ended up shooting Laide to death.
The policeman called Leke allegedly killed three of the motorcyclists; Laide, Seventy, and Osha.

Mayowa, another rider mourned: “This policeman killed and amputate 12 Okada riders legs his gun just because of N5, 000. They killed my friend Osha and Laide.”

Kunmi wept: “Laide was the only child of his parent. His wife just gave birth some days ago and his girlfriend is pregnant.  He was the one, taking care of his parents’ upkeep. In fact, we don’t know how to tell his parents that he is dead!”
Our correspondent located one of the wounded motorcyclists, Mr. Sunday Okoro in a hospital.

Okoro said they were having an association meeting, when the chairman suddenly received a call. “The caller said that police had gunned down three Iyana school motorcyclists. We and the chairman quickly rushed to the place. When we got there, I saw Mr. Leke shooting sporadically into the air with his counterpart Mr. Kehinde,” said Okoro.

He continued his narration: “I went to park my motorcycle by the end of the road. I was still trying to adjust it, when I felt something hit my ankle like a sharp stone. As I wanted to run then, I fell. It was then I realized I had been shot!”
Okoro insisted that he wanted Mr. Leke to come and pick up his hospital bills.

He added: “The government should please do something about this Mr. Leke. That was how he killed some of our boys last year.”
One of the riders two months ago allegedly committed suicide after Leke repeatedly seized up to six motorbikes from him. “He had six kids. He said he couldn’t pay their school fees anymore, take care of them, his wife or parent. He just went home and hanged himself,” revealed Tunji, a motorcyclist at the Iyano-school Park.

Deputy Police Spokesman, Lelma Kolle denied that police killed any motorcyclist at the park. He however said that police shot two on the legs to forestall them from setting Isashi Police Station ablaze, after they had poured acid on senior officer of the station, who is presently in hospital, battling to stay alive.

He explained that trouble started on that fateful Friday, after police attempted to carry out raid of a black spot in Iyano, where many citizens had been dispossessed of their valuables.

His words: “The DPO sent policemen to the black spot. When they reach there, they saw policemen, who thought they came to arrest them. Suddenly they attacked them with broken bottles, throwing same on the police. Some of them poured acid on the station officer (SO), who is now in hospital.”

He added that because of the tensed situation, the policemen went back to the station. The motorcyclists how regrouped, had a meeting and decided to attack the station and set it on fire.

But some of the members disagreed, throwing them into two groups. “Fighting broke out between the two groups, one of them used iron to hit on another, leading to his death. They now came to station, armed with broken bottles and jerry cans filled with fuel. They were too many. Police shot warning shots, but they kept advancing. The police were forced to shot two on the leg. They’re now in the hospital. They now claimed that their member whom they killed was killed by the police. The police did not kill anybody!”

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