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Tag: motorcyclists

  • Council, motorcyclists brainstorm on safety

    Council, motorcyclists brainstorm on safety

    The Executive Secretary of Badagry West Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, Hon Joseph A. Agoro has said that despite some negative impressions resulting from some untoward behaviour of motorcycle operators, popularly known as okada, their immense contributions to the socio-economic development of the society cannot be overlooked.

    Hon. Agoro spoke during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the council’s secretariat on Friday. The meeting was organised with a view to ensuring that motorcycle operations, especially in the council area are devoid of the usual skirmishes.

    He noted that okada riders are significant contributors to economic growth and development of the society, even as he added that their somewhat awkward behaviours tend to rob them of such significance.

    Describing them as gap-fillers, Hon. Agoro noted that the crumbling of public intra-city transport system and poor road network paved way for the ingenious introduction of motorcycle transport system as means of public transportation in Nigeria.

    He added that it is patronised by the low and mighty because of the advantages it has over taxis and buses. Its use for commercial purposes has impacted significantly on the economy and society.

    The council chief revealed that the stakeholders’ meeting with okada riders aimed at fashioning a better way of doing the business of motorcycle operation devoid of the usual problems engendered by the operators.

    “The essence of this meeting is to ensure a peaceful relationship between okada riders and other road users in Badagry West Local Council Development Area.

    The increase in crime has been linked with the influx of okada riders, particularly in the cities closer to the border. The criminal activities by okada riders range from theft of purses and mobile phones to abduction, grand larceny and even politically-motivated murder.

    “It is pertinent to maintain some standard in order to reduce the number of deaths and injuries resulting from careless operation of motorcycles. Apart from other factors such as overloading, speeding, indulgence in alcohol and lack of training in safety matters, among others, there have also been incidents of gang beating, during which okada riders had attacked motorists as a result of minor traffic accidents involving both parties.

    “There had been serious clashes involving okada riders and other road users. Some of these clashes, sometimes, escalate into riots during which vehicles were set ablaze,” he said. Continuing, he said: “There is no secrecy about what is needed to be done to keep okada riders safe. I, therefore, call on all stakeholders who gathered here today to brainstorm on how best to make motorcycle operation less dangerous and less life-threatening in the council area as we experience it currently.

    “In this respect, I therefore advise all motorcycle operators to be of good behaviour, show respect to security agents and also to be law-abiding citizens. In case of any misunderstanding, do not take the laws into your own hands; report to the council for redress. We will always attend to your needs.”

  • Two motorcyclists held for alleged robbery

    Two motorcyclists held for alleged robbery

    Two persons have been arrested by residents of Odewale community in Agbado, on the outskirts of Lagos for alleged robbery.

    The suspects, who are motorcyclists, were arrested on Tuesday, around 10am and handed over to the Alakuko police station.

    They are Segun Omosanjo, 19, and Ayo, 19. It was gathered that they have been terrorising the community for over one year before they were caught.

    One of the suspect, Ayo, a native of Ogun State, said he took to robbery because he got help from nowhere.

    He said: “We stole so many things from Iya Ruka but since she never noticed, we felt we where not going to be caught. Please pardon us; it is the devil’s handiwork.”

    Omosanjo also from Ogun State blamed it all on the devil.

    “I have always lived with my friend. We sold most of the items we stole from residents. I will never go back to it if I am freed,” Omosanjo said.

    A resident, simply called Tosin, said the suspects moved into the community months after motorcyclists on highways.

    She said: “I sell in front of the house they live and I see other tenants when they go out for their daily activities. These boys are always at home. They ride their bikes at night and sleep the whole day. I never knew we lived with thieves.”

    Iya Ruka, a food vendor, said they spent most part of their day in her shop adding that she almost took them as her children.

     “I have been selling at Odewale Junction for over three years. My customers are majorly Okada ridersbecause it is opposite their garage. Things have been missing in my shop for a while but I never pointed fingers.

    “I entered my shop and I noticed some things were missing. So I informed some people at the park. I didn’t know they have been stealing for a while because they removed a block behind my shop which served as entrance. I remember four days ago when I got to my restaurant I realised my stabiliser was missing. They carried my bag of rice, fried meat, VCD and drinks. I saw my stabiliser in a shop for sale and that was how we traced them. They operated at night. I never suspected them because they were always pretending as motorcyclists but they are not.

    “At times when they are ill, I prepare herbs for them; I give them stew and now see what they have done to me. It was when they were caught I knew they have been robbing me for months without me noticing,” she said.

    Another victim, Itunuoluwa, said she and her husband had just returned from work when they heard a knock on their door.

    “They threatened us with a knife. They collected the N36,500 I had. They wanted to rape me if not for my husband who shouted and they ran away. I recognised Ayo because they didn’t use masks, I will be glad if I can get our phones back,” she said.

    Chairman okada riders committee in the community, Ganiu Lawal said the suspects were not his members adding that he often saw them at Iya Ruka’s restaurant.

    He said: “I can’t say they are okada riders because they didn’t register with our park. We see them. All I know is that it was when they barred motorcyclists on expressways they came to our area over a year ago. I know the riders in this park maybe they are from other parks but they ply Odewale regularly.”

    The community’s Baale, Chief Aina Solomon, said such cases had always reached him, but no suspect was caught.

    He said the suspects would be sent away from the community if they get bail.

  • Ondo motorcyclists protest extortion

    Commercial motorcyclists in Akure, the Ondo State capital, have protested against alleged extortion by the police.

    The protesters, who marched on major streets and roads, called on the Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, to caution his men.

    During the protest, business activities were paralysed as major roads were blocked by the protesters.

    The protesters marched from Plaza Junction, Oke Ijebu.

    It was gathered that the protest became aggravated, following the alleged beating of a protester by the policemen of ‘A’ Division police station, Akure.

    The unit leader of Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders Association of Nigeria, Oluwaseun Adesina, alleged that the policemen from ‘A’ and Ijapo  divisions extort his members daily.

    He said: “Everyday, the police from ‘A’ Division and Ijapo police stations will seize our motorcycles and take them to the station.

    “Whether or not your particulars are correct, you have to pay between N1, 000 and N5, 000 before your motorcycle is released.

    “This is what we go through daily here in Ijomu, Oke-Ijebu, Alagbaka and Ijapo Estate.

    “Some of them dress in mufti just to make sure they arrest us. They are making life unbearable for us.”

    Police spokesman Wole Ogodo said he had not been briefed on the matter.

  • Panic as motorcyclists, hoodlums clash

    Panic as motorcyclists, hoodlums clash

    Ejigbo, the oil depot town in Lagos, and environs were a no-go area yesterday as hoodlums and commercial motorcyclists/triyclists clashed.

    Guns, machetes, bottles, disused tyres and sticks were used in the free-for-all.

    Now fewer than 16 people have been injured and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in the fight which started in Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos last Saturday and spread to Ejigbo, Canoe and Ajao Estate.

    Although the fight was said to be between motorcyclists/tricyclists and area boys over the latter’s alleged extortion of the former, members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) were said to have joined in the fight yesterday when one of them was attacked after a hoodlum was chased into their premises.

    Eyewitnesses said trouble started when a hoodlum attacked a motorcyclist for refusing to pay more than the N500 daily ticketing fee.

    Following last Saturday’s scuffle, it was gathered that the police intervened and directed the hoodlums to stop extorting money from the motor cyclists/tricyclists, who usually part with N2, 000 daily.

    But yesterday, hoodlums around filling station were said to have beat up and impounded the motorcycle of a rider who insisted on paying the stipulated N500 fee.

    A hoodlum, who gave his name simply as Sunday, said: “But the okada rider refused and showed the man his ticket. The area boy was so furious that he started boxing the rider.

    “It was around 8am. As they were fighting, more bike riders parked to defend their own. When the hoodlum saw that he had been overpowered, he started running, but the angry mob pursued him.

    “They were shouting Ole! Ole … and pursuing him as he ran towards the NNPC depot in Ejigbo. Before we knew what was happening, bottles started flying everywhere.

    “So many men with guns, cutlasses, planks, fuel and lighter started beating people. They attacked every okada and keke rider on the road. They freely used bottles and knives on them, while they burnt their cycles.

    “It was the agberos (touts) that even destroyed peoples’ shops too and burnt down the kiosks of ordinary citizens who had no business in their fight.”

    Scores of motor cyclists/triyclists, who got wind of the incident,  were said to have stormed the NNPC depot.

    The motorists were said to have wounded some of the area boys and NUPENG members at the depot.

    It was gathered that police in Ajao Estate contained the crisis, but their counterparts in Ejigbo were reportedly overpowered by hoodlums. Their guns and tear gas canisters were allegedly seized.

    The remains of burnt motorcycles, tricycles shattered bottles and glasses littered the scene.

    It took about seven police patrol vans with no fewer than 50 armed personnel.

    Victims of circumstance

    He cut a pitiable sight as he lay on the floor groaning. Drenched in blood with wounds all over his body, Monday Silas, a commercial motorcyclists muttered to himself, with tears running down his cheeks.

    As he used his Tee-shirt to drive away flies, all Silas could say was “God why me? Why me?”

    Silas had run into the hoodlums and commercial motor cyclists/triyclists clash at Ejigbo.

    Silas, who was coming from nearby Ikotun where he picked up a passenger going to Ejigbo, said he was robbed.

    “I don’t know what I did. I don’t even know what was going on. I don’t know the people who attacked me, but they almost killed me. They burnt my bike, used cutlasses and bottles on me. I don’t even know how I got to this place. That is all I can tell you,” he said.

    When this reporter tried to find out why he was not taken to hospital, some hoodlums said they did not care if he died.

    They said they would not take him to hospital because he is a motorcyclist, adding that his colleagues injured about six of their men.

    It took the intervention of one of their leaders before the mob allowed one of the men who escorted this reporter to the scene to take Silas away.

    Sympathisers offered him water and milk; a police patrol stopped and rushed him to Isolo General Hospital, where this reporter deposited N4, 000 for his treatment.

    There were others like him at the hospital.

    A young man, who shared the same room with Silas said some motorcyclists broke his head.

    “The worst part is that I was just going to work when they attacked me. It was the motorbike riders that beat me to a pulp. They were just cutting my head with cutlass and bottles. My whole head has been stitched and bandaged,” he told one of his visitors.

    Others with injuries were on drips in the adjoining wards.

    NUPENG denies involvement

    Meawhile, officials of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) unit of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at Ejigbo have debunked claims that they took part in the duel. They said they only intervened to safeguard national assets.

    The chapter’s Secretary, Onifade Adesina, said their men stopped the motorcyclists from invading the NNPC depot.

    He confirmed that some of his men were injured and rushed to the hospital, adding that the association only chased the cyclists out to prevent lawlessness at the depot.

     

  • Police, motorcyclists clash in Ogun

    Police, motorcyclists clash in Ogun

    Commercial activities at the Abeokuta Central Business District (CBD), Oke-Ilewo, were disrupted yesterday, following a clash between the police and hundreds of protesting commercial motorcyclists.

    Banks, eateries, telephone booths and scores of businesses operating at the CBD hurriedly closed, as the angry commercial motorcyclists vandalised property, attacking policemen and residents.

    The operators, who blocked the Lalubu Road, Oke-Ilewo, with scores of motorcycles, were protesting the killing of a man, who they thought was their colleague, by a bullion van.

    The bullion van driver was said to be recklessly negotiating the OPIC circle within the CBD when the   accident occurred.

    The Nation gathered that motorcyclists and sympathisers were appalled by the alleged “callous attitude” of the policemen attached to the van, who were said to have dragged the body of the victim from under the van, dumped it in a gutter and sped off.

    The protest, which caught many motorists and visitors unaware, caused a gridlock that spanned over five hours. Some vehicles trapped in the troubled district were vandalised.

    A combined team of soldiers and policemen drafted to the area laboured to contain the protesters with “minimal force”, shooting canisters of teargas to disperse them.

    The driver was arrested and his bullion van impounded; over 70 motorcycles used to block the road were also impounded.

    An eyewitness said the 22-year-old victim was a carpenter, adding that he rode his brother’s motorcycle to Oke-Ilewo to buy a memory card.

    He said the motorcyclists mistook him for one of them and went on the rampage.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the driver and some protesters had been arrested.

    Adejobi said: “A bullion van driver attached to a new generation bank hit a motorcyclist. Sympathisers started protesting and attacking policemen. They vandalised vehicles and attacked residents too.

    “The protesters took the law into their hands, hauling stones and other objects at police officers. We have to apply minimum force to disperse them to evacuate the body. We arrested the driver and impounded the van.

    “The driver is not a policeman and we will ensure that justice is served. We heard that the people were angered because the policemen attached to the bullion van dragged the motorcylist from under the bullion van and dumped him in a gutter.

    “We don’t encourage callousness or impunity in the police and we are going to look into that allegation critically.

    “We are advising the public to shun jungle justice as you cannot correct one misdeed with another misdemeanour.”

  • Gombe police swoop on motorcyclists

    Commercial motorcyclists in Gombe have accused the police of arresting them indiscriminately.

    The state government has banned them from operating after 6:00pm.

    When contacted Commissioner of Police Kudu Abdullahi Nma said: “Don’t police have the right to do their constitutional responsibility? If you don’t have any question to ask, you better f..k off.”

    He hissed and discontinued the call without bothering to explain how long the action would last.

    The Chairman of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Operators of Nigeria (ACOMMORAN) quoted the police as saying some motorcyclists were found with explosives concealed under their seats at Kwami Local Government Area.

  • Motorcyclists back Jonathan

    Motorcyclists back Jonathan

    The National Commercial Tricycles and Motor Cycles Owners and Riders Association (NATOMORAS) has pledged to work for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election.

    Members of the group spoke during a courtesy call on the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, in Abuja.

    The delegation of NATOMORAS, comprising an 18-man National Executive Council (NEC), was led by the Chairman, Board of Trustees and National Adviser, Dr. Benjamin Onoriode Irikefe.

    Also on the delegation were the Registered Trustee, Chief Ezekiel  Oladapo; the National President, Alhaji Muhammed  Hassan; Comrade Godwin Ikolo and Comrade Stephen Ochuko.

    Hassan said Jonathan has positively touched all sectors of the Nigerian economy and deserves another four years.

  • Traders, motorcyclists clash

    There was pandemonium at the popular Dei-dei Timber Shade at Deidei community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), when Igbo timber traders clashed with commercial motorcycle operators.

    According to eyewitnesses, the death of one of the timber traders sparked the crisis.

    One of the eyewitnesses, Mr. Painter Ganiu, told our correspondent that the crisis occurred when a female food vendor who was crossing to the other side of the road was hit by an okada rider.

    His words: “As the woman tried to grip the okada rider to make him pay for her food, he attempted to run away, but was immediately accosted by an unidentified trader who prevented him from escaping, insisting that he must pay for the food.

    “Out of desperation to escape, the okada rider immediately brought out a dagger and stabbed the trader, who screamed and fell on the ground. Noticing that a colleague of theirs had been stabbed, other traders rushed to prvent the okada rider from escaping, even as they tried to save the life of their stabbed colleague by taking him to the hospital.

    “But, before they could take him to the hospital, the young man died. When they noticed that the young man was dead, the traders pounced on the okada rider and started beating him mercilessly. As he was shouting, other okada riders left their bikes and attacked the traders.

    “When the security personnel came to calm the situation, all the bike riders ran into the bush, while the traders ran to their sheds. I cannot really say what happened to the man that stabbed the trader, because all of them took to their heels on sighting the security personnel.”

    Another eye witness, Alhassan Mohammed said the crisis extended from Dei-dei Timber Shade to Dei-dei and Tomatoes junctions, where Hausa men attacked the Igbo traders, beating and injuring any one they could lay their hands on.

  • Police, motorcyclists clash in Ondo

    Police, motorcyclists clash in Ondo

    Commercial activities in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State were disrupted yesterday, following a clash between the police and motorcycle riders.

    Eyewitnesses said trouble started when a police patrol van allegedly hit a motorcyclist as he was trying to evade arrest.

    This sparked the anger of other Okada riders, who believed that their colleague has died. But, it was later confirmed that he survived the attack

    It was learnt that the motorcyclists allegedly attempted to attack the policemen on patrol and police stations in the town but were repealed.

    Police spokesman Wole Ogodo denied that there was no fracas between the police and motorcyclists.

    He said: “There was no case of any policeman pursuing anybody who was trying to escape arrest.

    “The motorcyclist was going on his own and our men were on their own but along the way our van mistakenly hit the motorcyclist and he sustained a minor injury . “Immediately, our men took him to a hospital where he was treated and discharged on the same day,” Ogodo stated

  • Motorcyclists snatch rifle from policeman

    It was like a movie scene. In a commando style, some fast riding commercial motorcyclists popularly known as Okada snatched yesterday a policeman’s rifle at a road intersection in Lagos.

    Passersby watched in awe amid the ensuing confusion as the police attempted to recover the rifle. It all happend at the Ojekunle Street junction close to the Ladipo Auto Parts Markets in Mushin, Lagos.

    The Okada riders were said to have gone after the police for allegedly impounding a motorcycle.

    Sources said the policemen who were patrolling in a vehicle marked ‘OPS Attack’, arrested one of the motorcyclists at Oshodi for plying illegal route.

    The motorcyclists were said to have mobilised their colleagues and followed the policemen to Ojekunle junction, were they dragged the motorcycle from the patrol van with the two policemen guarding it.

    The Nation learnt that one of the policemen used the butte of his AK47 rifle to hit one of the riders on the head.

    An eyewitness said: “As the policeman hit the okada man on the head, another forcefully snatched the gun and pointed it at the policemen in the patrol vehicle. The Inspector, who led the police team ordered the driver to stop, and they all disembarked and fled. The okada rider also mounted one of the motorcycles and fled with the rifle.”

    Some minutes later, the Inspector led four other policemen to plead with some social miscreants to assist them recover the rifle.

    “It was a funny scene. The policemen knelt down before some miscreants, begging them for the hideout of  the motorcyclists. The policemen, who were almost in tears, told the miscreants that they risk losing their jobs if the rifle was not found”, a source said.

    The police team were seen driving back to Oshodi, where they impounded the motorcycle, in search of the rifle.