BRT bus attack caused by Okada riders – Benjamin Hundeyin
The Lagos State Police Command has indicated that suspected motorcyclists, commonly known as Okada riders, whose motorcycles were seized, are believed to be responsible for the alleged attack on a BRT bus on Wednesday in the Orile area.
Police Spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin shared this information in an interview in Lagos on Friday. Hundeyin clarified that the incident was not a case of armed robbery but rather a reaction from the motorcyclists to the seizure of their motorcycles.
He explained that the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit had recently raided commercial motorcyclists operating on BRT lanes and other prohibited roads, leading to the confiscation of several motorcycles.
Hundeyin stated that some motorcyclists, angered by the raid, organized a protest. The nearest target they encountered was a BRT bus. “The motorcyclists forced the driver to stop and then attacked the bus. The driver, feeling threatened, fled, which allowed the riders to vandalize the bus’s windows,” he said.
He noted that while there are allegations of passengers being robbed on the bus, no reports have been filed with the police.
On Tuesday, the Lagos State Taskforce impounded 164 motorcycles from state highways for violating the Lagos State Road Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, which bans motorcycles from using highways in the state.
