The police in Delta State, South-south Nigeria, said the violent protest that rocked Asaba, the state capital on Monday was a result of the alleged killings of two commercial motorcyclists by officials of the state task force.
Bright Edafe, the police spokesperson in the state, disclosed this on Monday on X, while responding to a user’s enquiry on the protest.
“There was a violent protest this (Monday) morning by Okada Riders who had an issue last night with the state task force that led to the death of two persons.
“They (Okada riders) mobilised in their numbers this morning destroying properties and beating people, hence our men (police officers) were deployed to control the situation before it turned into something else,” Mr Edafe, a deputy police superintendent wrote on X.
From the pictures of the deployment posted on X, gun-wielding police operatives could be seen walking along a deserted highway in the state.
In a statement on the incident forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, Mr Edafe said eight suspects have been arrested with 53 motorcycles impounded.
“The team of police officers successfully carried out a raid of recalcitrant motorcycle riders who were embarking on this violent and destructive protest in Asaba metropolis.
“The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olufemi Abaniwonda reiterates the negative impact of violent protests on the economic growth of the state and therefore appeals to the public to remain calm and be law-abiding, assuring that the police command has the responsibility to ensure the safety of lives and properties,” Mr Edafe said.
The Protest
Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Riders in Asaba, Delta State on Monday protested the alleged killing of two of their colleagues on Sunday by officials of the State Task Force.
The protesters, under the aegis of Arewa Union in Asaba, accused members of the Task Force on Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association of being responsible for the killings, the Guardian newspaper reported.
In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, The Director General of the task force, Uchenna Okafor, accused members of the Arewa community in the state of inaugurating their own task force, a gesture he said was aimed at evading payment of money to the state government.
“They started attacking people paying tickets through the task force, chasing the task force and ticket sellers away, but we were not deterred because the revenue is for the government,” Mr Okafor said.
He accused the group of attacking the task force members on Sunday around the Government Reserved Area who were enforcing the law against the operations of tricycles beyond 10 p.m.
“This (Monday) morning, about 300 Arewa tricycle riders came to our office to attack us with cutlasses, guns, and other arms. They broke the doors, and windows, stole laptops, generators and phones,” Mr Okafor said.
The Coordinator of the Arewa community in the state, Hashima Abubakar, said his group was not against the sales of tickets, but that the task force has to negotiate rather than “resort to chaos”.
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