Okada riders (commercial motorcyclists) on Tuesday clashed with police and correctional service officials over a parking space close to Agodi correctional facility in Ibadan, Oyo State.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the correctional service officials have previously warned the commercial motorcyclists against parking opposite the Agodi prison gate.
A witness who spoke to NAN narrated that trouble started when some warders warned the motorcyclists’ plying the Iwo- Road, Bashorun-Akobo routes against parking opposite the prison yard and the motorcyclists defied the warning.
The witness said that the warders used teargas canisters to scare the motorcyclists while the police and other security agencies came to calm the situation.
According to the witness, the motorcyclists started burning tyres when a stray bullet by one of the policemen allegedly hit one of the motorcyclists.
The situation led to serious gridlock in Agodi Gate area of Ibadan while shop owners hurriedly closed for safety.
The Public Relations Officer of the Correctional Service in Oyo State, Anjorin Olanrewaju, confirmed the clash but said that there was no gunshot.
Olarewaju said that men of Operation Burst, a joint security outfit set up by Oyo State Government, had been stationed at the scene to restore normalcy in the area.
“There was a little misunderstanding between the officers and some Okada riders.
“They normally park at entrance to the prison. We usually ask them to move away.
“We did it the same today and there was a little misunderstanding.
“But, I can tell you that normalcy has returned. Nobody shot and Operation Burst has been stationed there. Normalcy has returned to the place,’’ he said.
In his reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, ASP Olugbenga Fadeyi, said that no shot was fired by the police.
“Contrary to the current trending news online, that police men fired shots leading to injury at Agodi Gate area this morning.“The truth is that there was a clash between officers of the correctional service and bike men stationed at Agodi gate.
“Upon receipt of this information, police men as well as other security agencies moved to the scene to ensure there’s no breakdown of law and order that could lead to coordinated attack on the correctional facility.
“Policemen fired no shot,’’ Fadeyi said.
