10 wounded, vehicle damaged as Okada operators, ATMA clash

Nnewi – No fewer than 10 persons sustained injuries, while a pick-
up van belonging to Anambra Traffic Management Agency, ATMA,
was damaged, yesterday, following a clash between officials of the
agency and commercial motorcycle operators, who resisted the
former from impounding their motor-cycles.



The motorcycle operators, otherwise known as Okada riders, had
earlier in the day, protested efforts by officials of the traffic agency
to enforce the restriction ban placed on their operations on major
roads in Onitsha and other major cities in the state by the
government.
ATMA officials had as early as 10a.m. mounted strategic points at
major roads in Awka, interdicting the Okada operators and
discharging their passengers.
What would have resulted in a blood-bath between both parties was
averted by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Inland
Town police station, who personally led his men to disperse the
invading Okada operators.
The DPO said: ‘’I got a distress call that some recalcitrant Okada
operators had engaged the ATMA officials, who have been directed
to impound disobedient Okada operators in a battle, following the
seizure of their motorcycles.
“I immediately mobilize my men and we went there to quell the
attack, but before we could get there, they had already smashed the
windscreen of a pick-up van belonging to ATMA, no life was,
however, lost but people must sustain injury when such a thing
happens. We have actually taken control of the situation.’’
One of the angry Okada operators, who spoke with Vanguard,
accused ATMA officials of beating them up before seizing their
motorcycles.
But an ATMA official, who pleaded anonymity, in a swift reaction,
denied the allegation, saying the agency officials could not have
beaten up the Okada operators in the presence of policemen, who
were monitoring the situation.