The Lagos State Police Command has debunked a report that violence broke out between motorcycle operators (that is Okada riders) and members of a transport union at Iyana Iba in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

In a statement issued by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Adejobi Olumuyiwa, it was clarified that there was only a disagreement between the two parties, “not violence”.

The Command spokesperson further disclosed that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered for immediate deployment of additional police personnel to the area to maintain law and order, urging that members of the public to go about their business as normalcy has been restored in the area.

“The Lagos State @PoliceNG Command has restored normalcy to the Iyana Iba/Alaba Rago and Ojo areas of the state where there was a disagreement between the members of the transport unions, okada units precisely, on the increment in tariff today, Monday 26th April 2021.

 “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has 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 the 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.

“The Command, therefore, enjoins 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 has been done to fortify security in the axis and by extension, in Lagos State in general,” the statement read.