Some irate youths on Friday went on rampage after a suspected smuggler rammed into a commercial motorcyclist in Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Nationnewslead learnt that the driver of the car drove as though he was being chased by law enforcement agents, thereby killing the okada rider on the spot.
This, sources said, led to pandemonium as youths at the scene of the incident went on rampage, setting properties on fire.
It was gathered that the mob had suspected that the smuggler was being chased by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and this got them infuriated.
They were said to have made an attempt to burn down a hotel where customs officers do lodge, but for the intervention of the police.
Cars and motorcycles where reportedly vandalised in the melee, which affected traffic on the old Lagos-Abeokuta highway for almost an hour.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.
“Yes, there was a riot at Itori today. A vehicle belonging to smugglers rammed into an okada rider and killed him on the spot. People at the scene of the incident had the belief that the vehicle was being chased by customs officers. That was how they went on rampage. They caused serious crisis.
“They set about three vehicles on fire today. There is a hotel at Papa where they said customs officers do lodge, they went there, making efforts to burn the hotel.
“But the Commissioner of Police (CP Lanre Bankole) has gone there today with DC operations and other officers of the command. Calm has been restored,” Oyeyemi said.
The police spokesman added further that some people have been arrested over the tumult, warning residents against jungle justice.
“We have made some arrests. We have been warning people to desist from taking laws into their hands. If anything happens, you cannot just go on rampage and believe you can be destroying people’s properties. Some arrests have been made and we are going to make an example of those arrested,” he said.
Asked, the PPRO noted that the command is yet to establish whether or not the smuggler was being chased by customs officers.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Ogun 1 Area Command , Ahmed Oloyede, said officers of the command had no knowledge of the incident.
