Deadly protest in Akure over killing of Okada rider

Akure, the capital of Ondo state, erupted in a violent protest yesterday following the death of a commercial motorcyclist who was knocked down by an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Thousands of Okada riders began a protest in the city bearing the corpse of their colleague and attempted to match to the office of the NSCDC located at Alagbaka area of the capital.
However, they were dispersed by a combined effort of the police and the NSCDC personnel.
In the course of the protest and efforts by security to disperse the protesters, a woman, said to be a sibling of the dead Okada rider, was hit by a stray bullet and the woman died.
The double tragedy escalated the already charged atmosphere as the protesters vowed to kill any official of the NSCDC in revenge.
The protest was later taken to the Oba Adesida Road where demonstrators disrupted vehicular movement and set up bonfires on the expressway.
It was gathered that the NSCDC official who is yet to be identified, had a collision with a motorcycle carrying two passengers on Tuesday evening causing injuries to those on the bike.
The official was said to have taken the injured to the state hospital for treatment, but the rider of the motor bike did not survive the accident.
Women and commercial motorcyclists in the course of the protest hijacked a vehicle belonging to the Ondo state task force with which they used in conveying the two corpses to the governor’s office at Alagbaka-Akure.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph, said the police was investigating the matter and would ensure justice was done.
He however said the woman was shot dead by a stray bullet at the office of the NSCDC.
But the NSCDC has denied that any of its official fired the shot that killed the woman