‘Traffic violation’: Task force, okada riders clash in Abuja over confiscated motorcycles

A clash between commercial motorcycle operators and task force officials in the federal capital territory (FCT), on Monday, led to a crisis around the airport road area.

Earlier on Monday, social media users had posted videos and advised motorists to avoid the road. 

According to an eyewitness, the clash began near Gosa market after some motorcycles were seized by the task force for violation of traffic rules. 

A ticket collector at the scene of the incident, who identified himself as Sa’ad, told TheCable that the task force officials were prevented from leaving the area after the seizure of about 10 motorcycles. 

The okada operators were also said to have burnt tyres and blocked the highway in protest.

“Okada riders were standing there (pointing to the other side of the road), waiting for passengers at the side of the bridge when the VIO (FCT task force) came,” he said.

“They put their motorcycles — about 10 — in their vehicles and they started leaving when the okada men went to block them.

“They have always warned them not to enter the roads. Except for the tyres they put on the road, the okada riders didn’t attack anybody. To the best of my knowledge, nobody was killed or wounded.”

However, at the time TheCable visited the scene of the incident, there was no sign that there was a clash in the area.

Speaking on the development, Josephine Adeh, the FCT police spokesperson, said the unrest “was merely an uncultured display of dissatisfaction by commercial motorcycle riders”.

“Upon the receipt of the information, police operatives from Iddo Divisional Police Headquarters were swiftly drafted to the scene where necessary measures were taken to restore peace and normalcy to the situation,” Adeh said in a statement.

“Consequent upon the above, members of the public are urged to eschew the generation and promulgation of fake news or contrary narratives and to go about the discharge of their lawful businesses without the fear of harassment or molestation of any kind or from any quarters.

“Meanwhile, monitoring and surveillance continue on the scene while effort is ongoing to arrest miscreants responsible for the disturbance of public peace.”