A Superintendent of Police (SP) and two others were killed in a bloody clash that erupted Thursday between some commercial motorcyclists also known as okada riders and policemen at Ajao Estate area of Lagos.
Three other policemen and many riders also sustained varying degrees of injury in the fracas.
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Though details of what led to the clash were still sketchy as of press time on Thursday, sources said the SP had led a team of policemen to raid some riders in the area for allegedly violating the state traffic laws.
Several commercial motorcycles were impounded while some riders were also arrested for trying to wrestle their bikes from the grips of the policemen.
The riders, who later regrouped in large number to protest the actions of the policemen, made bun fires on the roads.
Eyewitnesses said the protest soon got out of hand when urchins also known as area boys hijacked the protest when they started smashing windscreens of vehicles and breaking into shops to cart away goods. Others were said to have attacked passersby caught up in the crisis.
The SP, who some said is the Divisional Police Officer of Ajao Police Station, had led his men to quell the crisis.
It was learnt that he was ambushed by the mob that disarmed him and allegedly fired his service pistol at him along Asa Afariogun Road by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
A resident who pleaded anonymity disclosed that the riotous bikers were said to have extended their battle with the police towards the station where they allegedly shot two more officers.
The incident, according to the source, caused a commotion in the area as people scampered to safety.
The casualty figure could not be ascertained yesterday.
When contacted, the Police spokesman in Lagos, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, promised to make findings and revert but had yet to do so at the time of this report.
