Okada riders vandalise VIO office in Ibadan over death of colleague

Ibadan —THE relative peace that reigns at Iwo
road interchange, Ibadan, was ruptured yesterday
as some Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIO, caused
the death of a motorcyclist who fell under a
Lagos bound articulated vehicle which crushed
his head instantly.
The VIO officials, whose manner of operations had
been roundly condemned by motorists in the
state, were said to be in hot pursuit of a
commercial cab for alleged breach of traffic rules.
The taxi driver was said to have, in his escape
bid, hit the motorcyclist whose brains littered the
road.
This caused a breakdown of law and order as
commercial motorcyclists mobilised and stormed
the office of the VIO, destroying it in the process.
When Vanguard visited the scene, hundreds of
sympathisers thronged the scene, with the
women, among them, wailing.
An eyewitness said: “While the VIOs stopped the
driver of the taxi for a routine check and he
wanted to run away, he hit the Okada man who
unfortunately swerved right underneath the trailer
which overran him and killed him on the spot.”
Seeing what their actions had caused, the VIOs
ran away from the scene, claiming that they were
chasing the trailer driver who escaped towards
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
When the angry motorcyclists got to the office of
VIO at Idi-Ape, they broke some windows, louvres
and bottles of soft drinks.
It was learned that the quick intervention of
security men saved the situation from
degenerating into a full blown crisis.
Vanguard gathered that some of the protesters
were arrested by the Police and all attempts to
get the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP
Adekunle Ajisebutu to speak on the incident failed
as his phone was switched off.