Pandemonium broke out near St. Mary Catholic Church along Nyanya-Karshi Road, Karu in Abuja on Sunday when some motorcyclists popularly known as Okada riders protested the alleged killing of their colleagues and stealing of their motorcycles.
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An eyewitness, Ibrahim Umar, told The Nation the protesters resorted to violence, which created tension in the area, forcing residents to scamper to safety.
The protest forced many to stay indoors as the Okada riders destroyed vehicles and attacked innocent passersby.
Umar said: “For weeks now there have been reported cases of bike theft around Karu road. This issue has been on for a while now until the Okada riders decided to carry out a protest today”.
A business man, who resides in the area, Ade Omoba, said the protest created tension but the police quickly intervened to avoid further crisis.
Findings revealed the riot, which started in the morning, forced many churches in the area to lock their gates, asking their members to stay put so as not to be caught in the crossfires.
Soldiers and police officers deployed to the area battled the protesters who fought back with stones.
Residents of Karu, Jikwoyi, Kurudu, Orozo, Karshi among other towns in the area, were trapped as motorists were asked by security operatives to keep off the route for restoration of normalcy.
When contacted, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Mariam, confirmed the incident.
He said: “They were protesting the death of one of their colleagues.
“However, we have been able to restore calm and the Command has launched an investigation into the incident”.
However, normalcy has since returned to the area.
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