Motorcycle Rider - University Student Killed By Police In Lagos
A policeman who killed a commercial motorcyclist (okada rider) in Ikorodu on Tuesday has been arrested and detained, according to reports.
We reported earlier that the okada rider was shot dead on Tuesday when he allegedly resisted seizure of his motorcycle. New findings have shown that the victim, identified as Lekan, who was married with five kids, was a student of Federal University of Technology, Akure, in Ondo State.
Protests continued this morning in Ikorodu where the incident happened as okada riders and other sympathisers took to the streets to continue where they left off yesterday.
Chairman, Motorcyclists Association Of Lagos State, MOALS, Kayode Jimoh, who spoke wth P.M.NEWS this during a protest organised by the motorcycle riders on Wednesday morning (today), said that the motorcyclists were not going to look the other way while policemen keep killing people unjustly.
Jimoh, who noted the worst had happened warned against a repeat of such incident which he said 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.
Area Commander, Ijede Police Command, ACP Amos Marcus, had this morning, at Ladega Junction, Ikorodu, appealed to the motorcyclists to get back to work, assuring them that their grievances were understood, while promising to ensure safety of the people.
Marcus pointed out that the fact that neither tear-gas nor gunshot was used to disperse the crowd this morning despite the tension in the area 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.”
Lekan, who was shot dead while struggling with the police patrol team, according to sources, was the only surviving child of his parents.
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 badly injured.”
The victim was rushed to Ikorodu General hospital but he died before doctors could attend to him.
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