| Okada riders at war
By CHRISTOPHER OJI
Monday, November 8, 2004
Commercial motorbike riders in the Egbeda-Akowonjo area
of Lagos have kicked against moves by the council chairman
to impose extra levies on them through some touts.
Launching a protest under the umbrella of Amalgamated Commercial
Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, the group
has sent a Save Our Soul message to the Inspector General
of Police Mr. Tafa Balogun, explaining that the chairman of
Egbeda-Akowonjo contracted the services of a man (names withheld)
who in turn employed some touts to collect money from them.
The over 150 motorcycle riders who stormed the palace of the
traditional ruler of Egbedaland said they were being molested
and humiliated by the touts.
Their spokesman, Ogundare Ola-Oluwa said that the chairman,
Adeyemi, contracted one powerful man to sell tickets at the
cost of N30 to the riders. “But rather than sell one
ticket to us, this man employed touts who in turn printed
three different tickets and they are forcing us to buy.”
Ola-Oluwa alleged that rather than stop at extorting N90 from
them, the touts have added another ticket forcing them to
part with N120 per day.
He said that following this development, the association vowed
not to pay the extra money which angered the touts who resorted
to violent attack.
According to him, the association has not been working for
over three days for fear of being brutalised by the touts
“Two of our boys have been stabbed. One of them is critically
ill now. One managed to come to His Highness to show him the
wound,” he said, adding that since the increase in fuel
price, it has not been easy for them.
“Before, we were making up to N1000, but today after
the day’s work, you would have spent your money on fuel
and you will not make more than N500 profit, yet you have
a family to cater for.”
Ola-Oluwa lamented that touts who neither ride nor own motorcycles
were reaping the fruits of their labour.
“We want the Inspector General of Police to come to
our rescue, because if they push us to the wall we will be
forced to do a counter attack which may not augur well for
the state. We choose to be responsible and that does not mean
that we are cowards, but if they push us further, we will
tell them that violence is not the exclusive preserve of one
group.”
Speaking with Daily Sun, the traditional ruler, Oba S.A Balogun
said, “Yes, about 30 Okada riders came to my palace
and reported that one man and his boys attacked them. So,
I sent for the man and he came and I fixed a meeting between
the Okada riders and the man, but up till now, the man refused
to honour my invitation.”
The Royal Father said that he had reported the matter to the
police, adding, “one boy came here with a machete wound
and as such, I cannot fold my hands and watch people kill
themselves in my domain. So, I have asked the police to invite
both parties and myself for peace making.”
He appealed to the Okada riders to maintain peace till the
police reconciled the two parties.
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