The Chairman of the Shuttle Drivers of Lekki Peninsular Estate, Jimoh Yakubu, has denied claims that five people were killed during the clash between commercial bus drivers and commercial bike riders at the Lekki/Ajah area of Lagos State on Friday.
According to Yakubu, the five people were only injured, while 31 vehicles damaged and 26 persons arrested.
Yakubu said that his association incurred over N10 million debt from damages done to about 31 buses by the irate motorcyclists.
Yakubu lamented that there seemed to be no end in sight in the ongoing feud between bus drivers and motorcyclists in the area.
He alleged that on Sunday, the motorbike riders attempted to attack them, but the attack was aborted due to heavy presence of policemen.
It would be recalled that on Friday, motorcycle operators and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers clashed.
It was alleged that four persons died.
Yakubu explained that the crux of the matter was the issue of banning of the motorcycles.
He said the action of the estate CDAs did not go down well with the motorcyclists.
Yakubu said: “Before the Friday attack, the motorcyclist attacked us on Thursday, claiming that we the bus driver connived with the police and the estate residents to chase them out of the park.
“On that Friday, we were in the park, picking passengers when suddenly we saw about 30 motorcyclists, wielding dangerous weapons and coming towards our park.
“Before we knew what was happening, they had descended on us and machete some of our drivers.
“When the dust settled, we counted about 31 buses damaged.
“Five people were also injured.”
A resident of the estate, who craves anonymity, said: “I wish you were here on Friday to see what these so-called Hausa motorbike riders did.
“How they were attacking people with machetes in broad day light.
“It’s we residents who decided that we didn’t want motorbike riders in the estate due to prevailing security challenges.
“We don’t want to experience what is going in the North East in Lekki Peninsular Estate.”
The residents were said to have engaged the services of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress members, who started chasing the bike riders out of the estate on Friday.
It was that day they mobilized and started attacking people, including residents.
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