The Lagos State Police Command said it has quelled the civil unrest witnessed around Iyana Iba/Alaba Rago and Ojo areas of the state earlier today.
There was confusion for hours in the area as young men chased each other with dangerous weapons.
The men also attacked the first set of police team sent to quell the unrest.
At some point, rumours were rife that it had become an ethnic clash as the majority of the okada riders were from the north.
However, the Lagos Police Command Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi dismissed the claim.
He said it was a disagreement between the members of the transport unions, okada units, on the issue of increment in tariff.
He said in a statement that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, had ordered for immediate deployment of additional police personnel to the area to maintain law and order as he also directed the Area Commander, Area E, FESTAC, to personally be on ground to monitor the situation and invite the leaders of the affected Okada riders unit for an urgent meeting.
”The Command wishes to debunk the rumour that the disagreement, not violence as being peddled in the social media, was between some ethnic groups. Without mincing words, the incident has no ethic colouration whatsoever but a mere conflict between transport unions and their okada units on ticketing and increment in tariff, ” he said in the statement.
He enjoined members of the public, especially those around the areas, including the students of the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, to go about their lawful businesses and studies respectively, as adequate deployment had been done to fortify security in the axis and by extension, in Lagos State in general.
In a related development, there were reports of commercial motorcycle operators (okada) clashing with police at Lekki Phase One this morning as well.
A twitter user uploaded a clip showing people scampering for safety while gunshots were being fired.
MSN learnt that normalcy has also been restored in the area.
