LAGOS MAY 30TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Two policemen were lynched about a week ago, when they attempted to seize some motorcycles at the 7th Avenue area of FESTAC Town, popularly known as Aso Rock.
While the angry riders were able to overpower two of the police officers, two other policemen however succeeded in escaping to safety, but with injuries.
The policemen, who were said to be fond of frequent raiding of the ramshackle apartments of the motorcyclists, were said to have come again, that fateful day around 1.00 am for a repeat raid, as seized motorcycles were either “bailed” with as much as N30,000 or more, or the motorcycles are forfeited.
But the riders, who had become disenchanted with the frequent harassment, were said to have resisted the policemen who attempted to carry away their motorcycles.
In the ensuing scuffle, the eight policemen who came, some in the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) powerbikes, were overpowered.
An eyewitness account said the policemen fired some shots at the riders but the Okada riders who had massively mobilised themselves, were not hit by the bullets. That was said to have emboldened them to seize the policemen and attack them with sticks and other dangerous weapons, leading to the instant death of one of the policemen, while two others died later in the hospital, according to one of the accounts.
The policeman killed on the spot was said to have been burnt to ashes along with the RRS powerbike, as others managed to escape.
The riders were said to have been determined to “deal with the illegal actions of the policemen who not only frequently come to disturb their sleep, but also seize their motorbikes even at such ungodly hours”, asking, “is it an offence to have a motorbike, or were they riding the bikes at that hour of past 1.00am as to warrant their seizure by policemen?”.
It could not confirm if the said policemen went for an illegal duty or not.
But piqued by the dastardly attack and loss of their colleagues, the Area E Command of the Police Force was said to have deployed a detachment of over 20 policemen, with several RRS patrol vans and even an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) RRS 182 LA belonging to the Area ‘E’ Command, in the area, chasing away all the residents of the “Aso Rock” shanties.
As at last night, the vans and APC were still stationed at the area, even as the policemen were arresting motorcyclists who ply the area and demanding gratification from them before they were released.