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Robberies: Ogun Communities Light Up Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Communities within the five-kilometer bridge stretching from Warewa, Ogun State, to the Kara end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have begun lighting up the axis to ensure the safety of motorists plying the route.
Dubbed as Long Bridge, the corridor has become a notorious black spot for traffic robberies and kidnappings over the years with many commuters falling victims.
Findings by our correspondent showed that criminals usually hide under the bridge and strike mostly under the cover of the night when gridlock ensues or a vehicle breaks down.
“I was an eyewitness. Robbers smashed people’s cars and robbed them of their valuables. They came from under the bridge in the middle of the Long Bridge. After robbing, they jumped under the Long Bridge. Security agencies need to comb the axis and flush them out, otherwise, it will continue,”.
Several motorists had been robbed of their valuables and maimed by the assailants who always escape before help could come from other road users or the police.
It was also learnt that there were incidents of kidnapping along the route in recent times.
Disturbed by the wave of crime in the area, host communities comprising Arepo, Warewa, Banku, Mokore and Arigbede, came up with the plan of installing streetlights on the Long Bridge to deter criminals.
One of the coordinators of the project and President, Arepo Residential Community Development Association, Mr Bode Adefolu, said the streetlights would also assist security personnel patrolling the route.
He said, “We have had several robberies on the Long Bridge. People have been waylaid in traffic or when their vehicles broke down. What is even more disturbing in recent times is the fact that people are now being kidnapped and taken into the bushes around the bridge and ransoms paid. We realise that it would be better if we light up the Long Bridge so that even from a distance, anybody can be of assistance in case of any attack by alerting the police. The police station is situated close to the bridge. It will also aid the team patrolling the long bridge.”
Adefolu said the communities planned to install industrial light at every 300-metre distance along the bridge, noting that they had kick-started the project with donations from individuals.
He added that they had also hired private security guards to support the police in patrolling the bridge.
He stated, “The little we have done so far was through individual donations of domestic solar light that we attached to billboards along the bridge. It is just a kind of pilot scheme for people to see what we are trying to do. It has not even gone to a stretch of one kilometre and the illumination is just on one lane; it can’t extend to the other part of the bridge. We need enough funds to put in place appropriate industrial solar light.
“Initially, the patrol team comprised policemen from the Warewa Police Station but we realised that to patrol the Long Bridge, we needed more hands. What we have done as communities around the area was to look for private security guards to support the police on a regular basis. We have 10 of them that we pay N30,000 on a monthly basis. We have to raise the money among ourselves.”
He further stated that apart from lighting, they planned to mount a security tower to monitor the bridge even as he sought financial support to speed up the completion of the project.
He said, “The Long Bridge does not belong to these communities alone, it belongs to all Nigerians. It is just like a gateway to Lagos and outside the state. We are not concerned about our own security alone; we are concerned about the general security of all Nigerians plying the bridge.
“Anybody from Zamfara, Yobe, Ondo and Enugu plying the road can fall victim. That is why in our own little way we have decided to make the bridge a safe and secure route for all Nigerians plying it. We have not been able to arrive at the actual amount the project will cost. We want to put light on every 300-metre distance for the bridge to be properly lit up.
“We are also thinking of mounting a security tower at the beginning of the bridge so that security personnel can monitor what is going on. This project concerns everybody. We urge people even outside Lagos and Ogun states to show interest by donating to the project.
“It is not going to be easy but with a coordinated effort, I believe we can get it done. We hope that people will respond. We are also talking to corporate bodies on the axis.”
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