An Assistant Superintendent of Police, Augustine Isokphehi, has been killed by okada riders after leading a team of policemen to an accident scene on WEMCO Road, by AY junction, Ogba, Lagos State.

It was gathered that the accident occurred in the early hours of yesterday.

The road crash, which involved a truck and a motorcycle rider, claimed the latter's life, leading the police team to evacuate the debris and block the truck to prevent the driver's escape.

However, hoodlums on motorcycles stormed the scene and attacked the police team, injuring Isokpehi in the head before he reportedly died on the spot.

During the melee, the truck driver escaped with the vehicle while the motorcycle riders also fled.

A spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, who confirmed the incident, said five suspects had been arrested.

He said the corpses of the policeman and motorcycle rider had been evacuated to the Mainland General Hospital morgue in Yaba for autopsy.

He added that a manhunt for other fleeing suspects was ongoing and subsequent developments would be communicated.

Describing the act as "needless and uncalled for," Hundeyin said: "The police team got a distress call at about 1.40 am on Saturday of a fatal accident that involved Okada rider and a trailer at WEMCO junction Mobil Road by Pen Cinema Agege, which the police promptly responded to for intervention. On getting to the scene, the team met a large number of motorcycle riders who had gathered around the place.

"However, the patrol team, in the process of evacuating the truck, came under attack by the riders who insisted on torching the truck, as a result of which one ASP, 46 years old, was injured on the head and died on the spot while the truck driver escaped. Five suspects have since been arrested, and the manhunt for others is on."