The Lagos State Police Command has attributed the recent attack on a BRT bus in the Orile area to disgruntled motorcyclists, commonly known as Okada riders.
During an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, the Command’s Spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that the incident, which occurred on Wednesday, was not an armed robbery as initially feared. Instead, it was a protest by the motorcyclists following the seizure of their motorcycles by the authorities.
According to Hundeyin, some of the motorcyclists, angered by the confiscation, mobilized and encountered the approaching BRT bus. “They forced the driver to stop and attacked the bus. Feeling threatened, the driver abandoned the vehicle, allowing the riders to vandalize its windows,” Hundeyin explained.
While there have been claims that some passengers were robbed during the incident, Hundeyin noted that no formal reports have been made to the police regarding such allegations.
This development comes after the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit impounded 164 motorcycles on Tuesday for violating the Lagos State Road Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, which prohibits motorcyclists from operating on the state’s highways.
