An arbitrary hike in ticket fee payable by commercial motor cyclists in Ojodu Berger area of Ogun State has resulted in the death of a motor cycle rider, leaving no fewer than three others injured during a protest against the hike.
Sources disclosed that policemen attached to Adigboluja Police Station have allegedly shot and killed the rider and injured three others in attempt to bring the situation under control.
It was learnt that the motorcyclists were protesting against the hike in ticket fee imposed on them, by a newly created body called ‘ROMO’ by the Ogun State government.
Sources in the area disclosed that the motorcyclists were paying N200 as ticket fee prior to the establishment of ‘ROMO’ “but yesterday the ticket fee was increased to N500 which the riders rejected and this led to the clash.”
Some of the protesting motor cycle riders who spoke to PEOPLE AND POWER on the basis of anonymity said they were protesting against the imposition early Wednesday morning when ROMO officials arrived their park to stop them from protesting the hike.
Following the arrival of the ROMO officials, an argument reportedly ensued between the riders and men of ROMO after which the ROMO members left.
It was gathered that after a while, the ROMO team returned with a team of policemen from Adigboluja station to dispatch the motor cyclists from protesting.
Apparently poised to do the bidding of the ROMO team who probably acting on behalf of government, the policemen on arrival reportedly did not tell the protesters to stop protesting but suddenly started spraying teargas and shooting indiscriminately.
PEOPLE AND POWER gathered that it was in the process of the police shooting that stray bullet hit one of the protesters simply identified as Abdulahi and injured some others in the process.
It was also gathered that some of the policemen resorted to beating the motor cyclists who were unable to run away in the face of obvious dangers.
Some motor cycles were reportedly taken away by the police even as the motor cycle riders were wondering why such a fate should befall them in their country.
An eye witness to the fracas told PEOPLE AND POWER that they were picking passengers at Kosoko junction, opposite Just Rite Mall, the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States, because of the road repairs going on when trouble began.
Efforts made to confirm what actually happened from the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, before going to the press failed as his line was not going through.
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/man-dies-many-injured-over-hike-in-ticket-fee/
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