Okada riders’ scuffle: Lagos police debunk ethnic clash, restore normalcy

Etim Ekpimah

The Lagos State Police Command has restored normalcy to the Iyana Iba/Alaba Rago and Ojo areas of the state, where there was a disagreement between the members of the transport unions, okada units precisely, on the increment in tariff on Monday, April 26, 2021.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered for immediate deployment of additional police personnel to the affected areas to maintain law and order as he also directed the Area Commander, Area ‘E’ Festac, to be on ground to monitor the situation and invite the leaders of the Okada riders’ unit for an urgent meeting.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the command also debunked the rumor that the disagreement, not violence as being peddled in the social media, was between some ethnic groups.

“Without mincing words, the incident has no ethic colouration whatsoever but a mere conflict between transport unions and their okada units on ticketing and increment in tariff,” Adejobi said.

The command urged members of the public, especially those around the areas, including the students of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, to go about their lawful businesses and studies respectively, assuring that adequate deployment has been made to fortify security in the area and by extension, in Lagos State as a whole.