Okada ban: Three feared killed, others injured as police, operators clash

THREE persons were on Monday morning feared killed during a violent clash between commercial cyclists and policemen in Ijora, Apapa, Lagos.

Two of the victims were hit by stray bullets allegedly from the police team that attempted to disperse a riotous crowd of the operators. The third victim was a tri-cyclist alleged to be among those stoning commuters in commercial buses in protest of the ban on commercial motor and tricycles across six local government areas of the state which took effect on Saturday.

The operators engaged the policemen who moved early morning to enforce the ban placed by the state government.

They were said to have lit bonfires on the roads, pelted stones on commercial and private vehicles plying the road, including that of a policeman.

Many other people were said to have sustained injuries in the chaos while business activities were grounded for several hours.

Operators hundreds held a protest march at Ikeja and Ogba axis where they appealed to the government to reconsider the decision.

The protesters were led by members of the civil society and a pan-Yoruba youth group.