Qadri Akanbi
Once designed as safe passages to protect lives, pedestrian bridges in major Nigerian cities, such as Lagos and Abuja, are fast becoming zones of fear and danger.
Built initially to shield commuters from the risks of busy highways, these public facilities have now fallen into the hands of hoodlums and criminal elements who prey on unsuspecting pedestrians.
Rather than serving their intended purpose, the bridges have transformed into death traps where muggings, assaults, and even fatal attacks occur, leaving citizens wary and vulnerable.
Across several locations in Lagos and Abuja, reports of harassment, theft, and violent confrontations on pedestrian bridges are rising at an alarming rate.
The growing insecurity not only endangers the lives of bridge users but also undermines the enormous investments made by government authorities to promote pedestrian safety.
Residents now face a painful dilemma: risk their lives crossing chaotic highways or brave the lurking dangers above
ThisNigeria investigations confirmed these assertions as the pedestrian bridges have turned into havens for armed robbers and undesirable elements, where they operate with impunity daily in some parts of Lagos metropolis.
These hoodlums have become ‘landlords’ in public facilities provided by the government to ease pedestrians’ movement on the expressways in our state.
These criminal elements, already taking refuge in these public utilities, are so daring that during the day, you will see them relaxing on the bridges, unmindful of the pedestrians or security operatives.
*Hoodlums rob with impunity
For instance, the pedestrian bridge very close to Apogbon behind the former Daily NewsWatch Times office (known as Leventis Bus-stop) is taken over by hoodlums smoking and perpetrating all manner of evil, even during the day.
The investigation reveals that pedestrians have long abandoned the facility due to concerns for their safety. This reporter and his colleagues needed to disguise themselves while carrying out this assignment; hence, they would have been vulnerable to attack by these criminal elements.
Going through Mile 2 to Okoko Expressways, ThisNigeria’s findings were mindboggling. At Mile 2, given the busy nature of that area, the pedestrian bridge experienced a high volume of human traffic; yet, we could still observe the presence of these criminal elements loitering around the facility, even during the day.
At the First Gate bus stop, the pedestrian bridge was also busy because it connects to Festac Town, yet some of these hoodlums still concentrated their presence in a particular section of the facility, posing a danger to the bridge users.
The pedestrian bridges at Oluti and Abule Ado are no-go areas. Unscrupulous elements have practically taken over these two facilities.
You must have a lion’s heart to go through these facilities because of the presence of these bad boys, as they are practically living there.
It was clear that these facilities had been abandoned for a long time. Even the bus stops near these bridges, where passengers alight from public transport, are also deserted.
Additionally, at the popular Oshodi pedestrian bridge, the story remains the same, and it is even more frightening.
Sometime in February, one of our correspondents was in Oshodi on assignment and suddenly discovered that hoodlums had taken over a part of the bridge.
One of our correspondents drew the attention of the Neighbourhood Watch personnel on the other side of the bridge, who in turn informed him that the security personnel were on the bridge to curb the activities of these hoodlums, who were snatching pedestrians’ mobile phones. This is shocking because it was in broad daylight.
*’We’re at the mercy of criminals while using facilities’
On the Abule Egba axis of Lagos, several pedestrian bridges have been constructed for the masses; however, they have been abandoned due to fear of being attacked by hoodlums.
At Iyana Ipaja, portions of the BRT bus stop are littered with faeces, and various individuals loiter around the facility, as the reporter last visited the place.
One of the respondents, out of sheer frustration, told ThisNigeria that the government’s huge investment in these public facilities may turn out to be a colossal waste because the pedestrians have abandoned them for fear of being attacked.
*Respondents
Residents living around these public facilities have tales of woe to tell, given their daily experiences.
One Mr Adeyeye told ThisNigeria at the Oluti pedestrian bridge that you dare not attempt to go through this bridge once it is 7 p.m., saying such a person will have himself to blame.
Even during the day, pedestrians sparsely use this bridge for fear of possible attack.
Can you see for yourself that the place is deserted even during the day, not to mention late in the evening?
“Bello corroborated the first respondent’s story. “These bridges are a haven for all manner of evil on these axes. I say all manner of evils without mincing my words. On this road, we have witnessed armed robbery attacks regularly; raping of women cannot be ruled out on the bridge as well”.
One Mrs. Felicia says the government has left the pedestrians at the mercy of these hoodlums, who have consolidated their grip on these bridges at the expense of the poor masses for whom these facilities are provided.
“Just think about it. These areas fall within the jurisdiction of some Local Government Authorities and Police Stations, yet none of these government institutions deemed fit to take up this challenge. It is sad.
“Where is Lagos Task Force? Where are Neighbourhood Watch personnel? These government officials pass through this route but close their eyes against this menace,” he asked out of frustration.
*Abuja reports
In Abuja, the dark spots are under the bridges around the Moshood Abiola Stadium, the Mabuchi Bridge, Sure Wonderland, the National Hospital Bridge, the National Mosque Bridge, and the Apo Bridge, among others.
In these locations, there used to be instances of bag snatching and stabbing of victims who tried to resist the attack. They collect items like phones, wristwatches and other valuables.
Another black spot was the then-Gudu Bridge, now turned to an interchange, the Area 1 Bridge, and a few others. These locations used to be dangerous at night.
However, this story has changed since the arrival of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the FCT.
Since Nyesom Wike’s arrival in August 2023 and the appointment of CP Bennett Igwe as the FCT Commissioner of Police, crime in the FCT, especially in the city centre, has drastically reduced.
The then-CP Igwe took the battle to the criminals, deploying various strategies that have kept the city relatively safe.
It is, however, worth noting that there is no such thing as a crime-free society. Even the most technologically advanced societies still experience pockets of crime, and in some cases, major crimes. Additionally, in the FCT, crimes occur intermittently.
Abuja City Centre has more road interchanges than flyover bridges. Interchanges don’t provide safe havens for criminals like pedestrian bridges.
In Sharp Corner, Nyanya, Nasarawa State, near the FCT, the flyover has been taken over by traders and beggars.
Where there is a pedestrian bridge, the people hardly use it for the reasons best known to them.
There have been reported cases of people being knocked down while running across the road. In Nyanya, Abuja, a woman visited her daughter; she was dropped off just after the popular El-Rufai bus terminal.
Her daughter was watching on the other side of the road when she tried to run across the road and was knocked down by a fast-moving vehicle. She broke her head and died on the spot.
Another instance was a trader who tried to dash across the expressway; a bike boy riding against traffic hit him and broke his leg under the Kugbo Bridge. The ‘Okada’ rider sped off.
ThisNigeria spoke with a lady identified as Mama Chioma after she had crossed the road.
She said, “Arthritis is too much; my knees are not fit to climb this bridge.”
Miss Angela Gabriel, a student at the Federal College of Education (FCE) in Zuba, told ThisNigeria that most students prefer to cross the highways instead of using the bridge close to the school.
“The students are always in a hurry, they are also stubborn, and they complain that the bridge is far from the bus stop, but good enough, the Students’ Union leadership have embarked on massive enlightenment campaigns to discourage these students from putting their lives in danger in the cause of crossing the highways,” she said.
According to her, running across the road is easier than exhausting himself by climbing the pedestrian bridge.
Another man, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “Crossing the road is not the biggest crime that journalists or law enforcement agencies should investigate; everybody in Nigeria is breaking the law one way or another.”
“We are a lawless people, so let’s all continue to do what we like. People are committing bigger crimes like stealing our resources, abandoning contracts after mobilisation; you journalists will not go and ask them questions; it’s the poor people that you journalists want to intimidate.”
Several accidents and deaths have continued to occur unchecked in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) due to the nonchalant attitudes of residents who choose to cross the ever-busy highways at various bus stops instead of using the pedestrian bridges provided by the government.
Various efforts have been made by law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), but to no avail, as the menace continues unabated.
The pedestrian bridges visited during this assignment include Mabuchi by NAICON bus stop, Deide, and Zuba by FCT College of Education.
*Task Force seem helpless
ThisNigeria investigation, however, reveals some of the reasons why pedestrians have consistently refused to use the bridges when crossing expressways near bus stops.
Speaking to ThisNigeria over the phone on the weekend, the Head of VIO, FCT Directorate, Emetu Kalu, cited one primary reason as the distance between the bridges and the bus stops.
Kalu said residents complained that the bridges are too far from the bus stops.
Other reasons given include dangers associated with using the bridge at odd hours, health-related issues, the bad attitude of some Nigerians flouting the laws, and the impatience exhibited by some of the road users, who erroneously think going through the bridge is time-consuming.
According to the VIO spokesperson, the reasons above do not hold water because the safety of people’s lives remains paramount to the government at all times.
He stated that although the VIO has no power to prosecute offenders except the Nigerian police, it has continued to conduct regular massive enlightenment campaigns across the territory.
“We often station our men at strategic bus stops to ensure the people use the flyover bridges instead of crossing the busy highways where they could easily be knocked down by vehicles.”
“I can categorically tell you that at the Mabuchi bus stop, no fewer than 20 people are knocked down by vehicles plying the highways every week; some are reportedly dead while others are rushed to the hospitals for treatments, but we will continue to do our best.
“The unfortunate thing about the whole thing is that the same people are used to vandalising the iron fencing put in place to prevent crossing the highways; it is sad.”
*A motorist experience
Narrating his experience to This Nigeria, a car owner, Abdulmalik Dauda, said he ran into a young girl about 20 years old in November 2024 at the NAICON bus stop in Maitama while he was driving to his shop at Wuse.
He said, “The poor girl was crossing the highway instead of using the pedestrian bridge in that area. Suddenly, I heard a loud shout, like an uproar; unknown to me, the girl had been crushed by my car. With the help of sympathisers around, we were able to take the lady to the hospital, who was confirmed dead by the doctor.
“It caused me fortunes to take the corpse for burial at her home town. With this painful experience, I have stopped driving to date; I think the government can do more to ensure people make use of the pedestrian bridges on the highways, even if it means sanctioning the recalcitrant.”
All efforts to obtain a response from the FCT Police Command proved unsuccessful, as a text sent to the PRO, Mrs Josephine Adeh, was not attended to.
A security expert, Chike Okoro, said reports of this nature should serve as a wake-up call to the government and those responsible for maintaining law and order in the state.
“If this menace is not addressed now and allowed to escalate beyond this level, it may snowball into a significant security threat that could affect everyone in the state,” he said.
