A commercial motorcyclist has died, while two others sustained injuries after a speeding driver allegedly fleeing police officers rammed into them on Liasu Road in the Idimu area of Lagos State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday night when police officers pursued a vehicle suspected of being occupied by internet fraudsters.
The Punch reported that the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to escape from the pursuing officers, hitting three motorcycle riders in the process.
One of the victims reportedly died at the scene, while the other two were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The driver and other occupants of the vehicle were said to have fled on foot after abandoning the vehicle when they realised what had happened.
An eyewitness, identified simply as Wahab, said the vehicle was being chased from the Ile-Iwe end of the road towards the Council bus stop.
He said, “They were coming from the Ile-Iwe side when police officers in a minibus tried to stop them.
It was in the process that they increased their speed and drove recklessly.
“It was when the driver lost control that he ran into the okada riders. The one directly hit died on the spot, and the driver and other male adults in the vehicle ran out of the vehicle and fled.”
The vehicle was later towed to the nearest police station, while the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
Following the incident, commercial motorcycle operators plying Powerline and Liasu roads staged a protest, suspending their services to demand justice for their deceased colleague.
A resident, Titi Jayeoba, said the protest disrupted movement in the area, leaving many residents stranded as they struggled to find alternative transportation.
She said, “We were stranded on Sunday after the okada riders refused to operate. People who depend on motorcycles to get to church and other places were stranded.
The tricycles available could not carry everybody, so many people found it difficult to get to their destinations.
“And some were not even interested in tricycles because they would not take them into their streets,” Jayeoba stated.
Normal activities reportedly resumed later in the evening after the motorcycle operators returned to work.
The deceased was also said to have been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
When contacted on Tuesday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was unaware of the incident but promised to provide further information.
