The policeman, identified as Haruna, who was on a routine patrol with the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, anti-crime team, was said to have shot and killed a motorcyclist simply identified as Lekan a.k.a. Oosa, when he allegedly resisted seizure of his motorcycle. The victim was a student of Federal University of Technology, Akure, in Ondo State.
Chairman, Motorcyclists Association Of Lagos State, MOALS, Kayode Jimoh, who spoke wth P.M.NEWS this morning during a protest organised by the motorcycle riders, said that the motorcyclists were not going to look the other way while policemen keep killing people unjustly.
Jendor, as the chairman is popularly known, also informed our correspondent that the worst had happened but a repeat of such incident could result in a violent backlash in the area.
He said policemen shouldn’t disturb motorcyclists who were plying inner routes as they have been complying with the state’s traffic laws by not plying the major routes and expressway.
“This is just the beginning of our protests if the government decides to keep quiet and watch policemen kill innocent lives like fowls. We won’t keep quiet and watch all of that happen.
“Lekan is dead now and left some children behind. We are glad that the policeman has been arrested and detained but we don’t want a repeat of what happened yesterday. They should leave those of us plying the inner routes and stop disturbing us,” he said.
While pleading with the irate mob at Ladega Junction, Ikorodu, this morning, the Area Commander, Ijede Police Command, ACP Amos Marcus, appealed to the motorcyclists to get back to work, assuring them that their grievances were understood and promised to ensure safety of the people.
Marcus explained that the fact that neither tear-gas nor gunshot was used to disperse the crowd this morning should tell the protesting motorcyclists that the authorities were not happy with what had happened.
Addressing the angry mob in Yoruba, he said: “We are not happy about what has happened because we are also human beings like you. We are not happy with the death of your colleague but this your protest must stop.
“If you watch very well, nobody used tear-gas or even shot guns in the air to disperse you because we understand your grievances. Please, leave the streets and go back to work. Let peace reign, we shall get to the root of everything.”
P.M.NEWS gathered that the deceased was the only surviving child of his parents after his other siblings had died and that he is survived by a wife and five children.
Violence broke out yesterday after Lekan was shot dead as commercial motorcycle riders took to the streets to protest his death.
Lekan was said to have been shot dead while struggling with the police patrol team.
According to an eye witness account, “the policeman shot Lekan three times before the patrol team sped off in their vehicle, but the other okada riders pursued the policemen and caught them at Agric area of Ikorodu. The policemen were attacked and the particular one that shot Lekan was bady injured.”
The victim was rushed to Ikorodu General hospital but he died before doctors could attend to him. Sources saidthe police team that caused the chaos came from Ikeja.
The mother of the victim could not speak to our reporter as she was seen weeping yesterday.
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