The Lagos State government has removed touts from the pedestrian bridges at Oshodi and Ikeja-Along in response to complaints from Lagosians about their disruptive behaviour.
According to a statement by Ajayi Lukman, Head of the Agency’s Public Affairs and Advocacy Unit, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as KIA, carried out the operation to clear these bridges of nuisance individuals on Monday.
The statement also highlighted that the Corps Marshal of the Agency, Major Olatunbosun Olaniyi Cole (Retd), emphasized the importance of eliminating all activities that hinder the safe use of pedestrian bridges by pedestrians.
“We received outcries from Lagosians about the activities of miscreants and touts occupying the Oshodi and Ikeja-Along bridges on the guise of seeking shade, thereby placing themselves strategically to dislodge pedestrians of their valuables which discourages their use of the pedestrian bridges on the highways as it serves the purpose of protecting them from being knocked over by speeding motorists,’’ Cole said.
Cole reiterated the Agency’s commitment to strengthening ongoing enforcement efforts, stating that individuals posing a threat to pedestrian safety on highways would be apprehended and prosecuted by the courts to deter others.
He emphasized the importance for Lagos residents to utilize bridges for safety instead of crossing highways, warning that errant pedestrians caught by KAI operatives would also face prosecution.
The Agency’s Corps Marshal also warned against street trading, prohibited by the State’s Environmental Laws, particularly around and beneath pedestrian bridges, stating that offenders would be subject to legal action.
