27 ARRESTED AS SCAVENGERS STRIP LAGOS BRIDGE PILLARS OF IRON RODS
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
Twenty-seven suspected hoodlums have been arrested in connection with the alleged vandalism of the bridge linking Alakija and FESTAC in Lagos State.
The suspects were allegedly involved in the destruction of concrete pillars supporting the bridge and the removal of embedded iron rods and other structural components.
A video circulating on social media and seen by City Round on Friday showed police officers clearing shanties erected beneath the bridge by suspected scavengers.
Speaking in the video, an unidentified man alleged that several of the bridge’s concrete pillars had been damaged, with the reinforcing iron rods removed. He also called on relevant authorities to urgently intervene to prevent further destruction.
“This is the bridge constructed to link Alakija and FESTAC. These scavengers have started removing the iron rods from the pillars supporting the bridge. This is what they have been doing to all the pillars holding the bridge.
“They broke the concrete and started removing the iron rods. This is disturbing. How can scavengers be doing this in Lagos? This bridge was constructed by the Federal Housing Authority about five years ago, and this is what it has turned into. If this continues for another two years, imagine what will become of the bridge. I mean, it is facing an imminent collapse,” the man said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government confirmed the arrest of 27 suspected hoodlums in connection with the vandalism.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, describing the incident as a “disturbing act of vandalism” beneath the bridge.
According to Wahab, investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly removed iron rods, steel reinforcements, cables and other components critical to the structural integrity of the bridge.
He said, “Investigations revealed that suspected hoodlums had deliberately vandalised critical structural components of the bridge by removing iron rods, steel reinforcements, cables, and other supporting materials essential to the integrity of the infrastructure.”
Wahab warned that the destruction of the bridge’s components posed a major safety risk, adding that the suspects “will be prosecuted in accordance with the extant laws of Lagos State.”
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