Lagos residents avoid pedestrian bridges due to robbery attacks

Lagosians who residents on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway have appealed to the Lagos State Government to beef up security around pedestrian bridges to check robbery attacks on them.
In separate interviews,the residents also appealed to the state government to enforce the use of pedestrian bridges.

A trader in Ile-Epo Bus Stop area, Mr Ahmed Arikenyo, said that he was afraid of using pedestrian bridges because of past experience where he was robbed on a footbridge on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.

Another pedestrian at Ikeja, Mrs Mabel Musa, said she was also robbed on a pedestrian bridge around Gbagada area and had since become afraid of footbridges.

“Despite the fact that there was a police station close by, I was robbed at the bridge on Oshodi Oworonshoki Expressway, precisely, Charly Boy Bus stop, so I am afraid to use pedestrian bridges,“ she said.

“We were robbed at gunpoint at the Ilasamaja Bridge a long time ago but the memory has refused to go.

“Any time I try to use a pedestrian bridge, I see the robbers, so I feel safer running across the highway,” he said

However, Mr Ajulo Dada in Ijaiye area, said he avoided footbridges out of negligence.

“Government did well by providing the bridges but we are just careless, sometimes we even forget to use them because there is no enforcement for use,” he said.

Mrs Amaka Njoku and Miss Christy Kushima at Ikeja Along footbridge said they had fear for heights and preferred to cross the highway.

A trader in Oshodi, who identified herself as Iya Shadia, said that pedestrians avoided the bridge because of stress.

“We go through a lot of stress in Lagos. ‘’People are struggling, worried and anxious and government needs to address those issues that stress us.

“I am using the bridge today because of the Kick Against Indiscipline officials, they have used a caution tape on the road median and I know they will disturb me if I cross the highway.

“My heart is pounding so hard because it is not easy to climb especially when you are above 50 years,” she said.