Okada riders (commercial motorcyclists) on Sunday in Karu, Abuja, embarked on a violent protest against alleged maltreatment of their colleague by a female soldier.
The protesters blocked the road and attacked those coming from church, damaging some vehicles in the process and causing tension in the area until some policemen and soldiers dispersed them with gunshots.
It was learnt that the soldier allegedly forced the motorcyclist to drink water from the gutter over a disagreement between them.
The motorcycle rider, whose identity could not be ascertained, was said to have mobilised his colleagues, who stormed the area and took those coming from church hostage.
A detachment of policemen from the Karu Police Division, however, dispersed the rioters by firing into the air.
More policemen and soldiers were deployed in the area to guard religious centres and to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as Bode, said the protest almost assumed a religious dimension when the riders started chanting “Allahu Akbar,” while making bonfire on the road.
“While the protesters were chanting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ they harassed Christians who were coming from church. They blocked the road and we were trapped, while some of them were hitting vehicles with sticks and iron; meanwhile, some policemen at a nearby filling station didn’t even bother to intervene in the lawlessness of theokada men,” he said.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Altienne Daniel, confirmed the incident.
She said, “The protest was caused by a disagreement between a soldier and anokada man. The okada rider later mobilised his colleagues who blocked the road and set bonfire on the road. The police have brought the situation under control; there is no arrest yet, but we have commenced investigation into the incident.”
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