Policemen attached to Adigboluja Police Station have allegedly shot and killed a motorcycle rider and injured three others at Ojodu, Berger area of Ogun State.
It was learnt that the motorcyclists were protesting against the hike in ticket fee imposed on them by a newly created body, ROMO, by the Ogun State Government.
Our correspondent gathered that the motorcyclists were said to be paying N200 as ticket fee before the establishment of ROMO.’
However, by Wednesday, the ticket fee was increased to N500, which the riders rejected.
According to one of the Okada riders, Kunle Idowu, they were protesting against the imposition around 10am when the members of the ROMO arrived their park to stop them.
Idowu said an argument then ensued between the ROMO members and the riders.
The ROMO members left.
But they returned shortly after with a team of policemen from Adigboluja Station to dispatch them from protesting.
Idowu said: “When they policemen arrived, they didn’t tell us to stop protesting.
“Suddenly, they started spraying us teargas and shooting indiscriminately.
“It was in the process of their shooting that stray bullet hit one of us called Abdulahi and injured four others in the process.
“Some of the policemen were also beating our members who couldn’t run and took away many motorcycles.
“I don’t know why they are treating us like this.
“We are also citizens of this country.
“We are law abiding.”
An Okada rider, who identified himself simply as Olope, said: “They are picking passengers at Kosoko junction, opposite Just Rite Mall, the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States, because of the road construction going on in the area made them to come to where they are presently.
“They were already in the park when they saw some members of the ROMO who came and said they’re in Ogun State border.
“That they are to pay more ticket fee.
“We were trying to pacify them that the money imposed on them is much.
“Suddenly, the policemen that followed the ROMO team started seizing our members’ motorcycles because we told them we cannot afford the N500 ticket imposed on us.
“The policemen left with bikes.
“Few hours later, the Divisional Police Officer of Adigboluja led his boys to the scene and started beating our members with his pipe and his boys were also using stick to beat us and took about 100 Okada away to their station.
“Some of our members who later went to their station to get their bikes were teargassed and beaten by the policemen just because we didn’t accept the money imposed on us.
“Among our members that went to Adigboluja Police Station to get their bikes were arrested and they also took the remains of the one they shot away to their station.
“Ogun State Government should intervene in our matter and the state Commissioner of Police.
“We are only doing our lawful business.
“We are not criminals.
“We don’t want to go into crime that was why we took to Okada riding.”