One person has been reported dead after motorcyclists and policemen attached to the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit in the Agric area of Ikorodu Road clashed on Friday.
According to reports, the clash first started with an exchange of words between the policemen and the motorcyclists, but later deteriorated into the use of various weapons like bottles, cutlasses and guns.
Sources close to The Herald explained that the prolonged heated argument between both parties led to apprehension among residents and those running businesses along the Garage, Benson and Agric axis, Ikorodu.
The sources confirmed that the victim was a motorcyclist in the area.
They labeled the incident as “unfortunate” as many confirmed that the victim was not part of the melee.
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“The motorcyclists plying the Ikorodu Road were confronted by the task force team enforcing the ban on motorcyclists plying the expressway,” an unnamed source stated.
“Around 6pm on Friday, we saw the motorcyclists carrying different weapons and coming out from different angles, as if they had planned to act in that manner. Also, the policemen called for reinforcement.
“Before the clash happened, some operatives had chased away people selling by the roadside, and almost immediately, the clash between the motorcyclists and the task force started.
“It was more like a riot. Men of the task force chased the motorcyclists towards the Agric area, from where other motorcyclists threw bottles in the direction of the police, until they chased them back to the Benson area. In the process, one of the motorcyclists was killed,” the source ended.
Another source blamed the Task Force, alleging that it was a stray bullet from them that struck the victim.
“The person died around Agric area of Ikorodu,” the source revealed.
“Commuters had to disembark from buses and run for safety. The task force men shot to scare away the motorcyclists when the person got hit by a stray bullet,” the source stated.
As of time of publishing this story, the Police was yet to react to the incident.