On Monday the 18th of March 2024, some motorcyclists blocked the Okpanam road axis, Midwifery area of Asaba, to protest the killings. Four persons have been reportededly killed in Asaba, the Delta state capital, following a dispute between hausa commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada riders, and members of a task force.
The Nigerian police force was deployed there to arrest the situation, but it turned ugly and the police opened fire, thereby leading to the death of four individuals who are yet to be identified.
The policemen deployed to quell an ongoing protest against one of the State taskforce in Asaba,” the police PPRO said.
This ugly event came barely 24 hours after the Nigerian Army reportedly set Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State ablaze over the killing of 16 soldiers on a peace mission by the community youths.
Some personnel of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Delta State Command were seen on Monday morning shooting at protesters in Asaba, the state capital. The armed policemen were seen shooting directly at the protesters.
Giving more clarification on the incident, the spokesman for the state police command, Bright Edafe said that the police personnel seen in the video were deployed by the command to stop the ongoing protest being held against a taskforce in the state.
In a viral video on X (twiter), the protesters were seen blocking roads, as the police officers deployed to the location opened fire.
Commenting on the incident, Bright Edafe, police spokesperson in the state, in a post on X, said the protest took place on Monday morning.
Edafe said the protesters had a dispute with the task force, adding that the ensuing commotion that led to the death of four persons.
“There was a violent protest this morning by Hausa Okada riders who had an issue last night with the state task force that led to the death of four persons,” he said.