Heavily police presence was sighted
at the Ejigbo area of Lagos State, yesterday following the bloody clash between
commercial motorcycles riders and the Council officials over the increment of
ticket fare on Monday.
The clash left many people injured
and grounded commercial activities in the axis. Residents locked their doors,
while shop owners quickly close shops for the day. But yesterday, commercial
activities resumed.
Some of the traders said they were calmed by
the presence of the patrolling policemen in the area. It was also gathered that
the warring factions have met and brokered peace.
On Monday, motorbike riders and
council officials clashed after the council suddenly increased the daily ticket
fare of the motorbike rider. The clashed started on Monday and spilled over to
Tuesday.
According to them, they used to pay
N500 each day, but for reasons known, the council officials suddenly jacked the
money up to N800.
The motorbike riders took to the
streets, chanting solidarity songs. They insisted the increase was high. They situation
was said to have gotten rowdy until, council officials, motorbike riders and
street urchins came to blows.
When our correspondent visited the
area, the ever busy Coker NNPC road, hitherto known for business, had come back
to life as many traders and shop owners were seeing attending to
customers. Mobile policemen were also sighted stationed at different locations.
The Ilamose Estate, which is the
most affected area in the crisis had been condone off by the men of the Rapid
Response Squad
One of the motorbike riders, Mr. Chinedu
Okafor, said: “The manner the council officials were treating the motorcycles
riders, all in the name of ticket was wrong. I urge the Executives Secretary of
the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, to reduce the ticket fares. Such increase
will add to our sufferings, especially with respect to the fuel scarcity we are
battling in this country presently.”
A motorbike rider, Olayide Taiwo
recalled: “It was God that saved I and other riders. We all partook in the
fight. We’re all affected in this ticket increase imposed on us by the council.
We were all in our park when the crisis started. Some of us got injured and
bloody when we tried to stop the council officials from impounding and taking
our motorbikes away. A few of our members escaped. We used to pay N500 as the
ticket fare, suddenly, unannounced, we were asked to pay N800. We could not
afford such, thus the clash between us and the council officials.”
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