Okada Riders Set NTA Station, Other Buildings ablaze, Destroy Vehicles In A Protest Over Killing Of Motorcycle Rider

The Uyo station of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was among buildings set ablaze by some commercial motorcycle riders popularly known as okada riders on Wednesday, September 25, who were protesting over the death of one of them in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

The motorcyclists were said to be protesting the killing of the man allegedly by policemen attached to the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).

Residential homes including the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) along Aka Etinan Road were torched with several vehicles belonging to government vandalised.

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It was learnt the police went to the NTA station to make announcement that the ban on okada operation was still in force when the motorcycle operators went to the station and set part of it ablaze.

Enobong Peter Ukpe, a tricycle operator along the Goodluck Jonathan Boulevard, where the incident took place, disclosed that the okada rider was shot dead by the SARS men trying to enforce the ban on commercial motorcycle operations on the Uyo metropolis.

“He resisted the police who tried to seize his motorcycle for violating the ban on motorcycle operations in the Uyo,” the tricycle rider said.

It was learnt the SARS men who killed the motorcyclist took his remains in their van to the state police headquarters at Ikot Akpanabia and later deposited the body to the mortuary.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Odiko Macdon, who described the incident as “unfortunate”, decried what he called the attitude of the motorcycle operators since the ban was announced.