Commuters raise the alarm over criminal den on notorious ‘Long Bridge’

Commuters and passengers plying the popular Long Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have continued to recount their ugly experiences while raising the alarm over the spate of attacks on the road.

Many atrocities are being committed on the bridge daily. At 8:00a.m. on Tuesday, a middle-aged woman was robbed after her vehicle broke down on the bridge.

Most times, late in the night, some people are sighted jumping through the median into the underground on the Long Bridge while unlucky commuters whose vehicles break down have become victims of robbery attacks.

More worrisome for commuters is that the frequent patrol by security agencies on the bridge have reduced. They are therefore calling on the Ogun State government to sanitise the underground on the Long Bridge.

A commuter, who resides in the Arepo area, Femi Ajisafe, said it was high time the government took decisive action to rid the underground of the Long Bridge of criminal elements that carry out nefarious activities undisturbed on the bridge.

“I don’t know why government cannot take action by raiding the underground, which has become the den of criminals. Late last year, I was attacked on the bridge by some knife-wielding robbers who made away with my phones and other valuables. It was around 7:00p.m. and my vehicle had a flat tire.

“Before I could get down to try and change the tire, four guys ran towards me and before I could open the boot, they jumped on me and started beating me to give them all I had. I struggled with them and abandoned the car till I returned the next day. They had ransacked and removed the car battery and stereo,” he narrated.

He, however, called on the Ogun State government to sanitise the underground of the bridge before it becomes a den for ritual killers.

Also, a Lagos-based lawyer, who lives in Magboro said the government must act quickly before more lives and valuables are lost on the notorious bridge.

“Plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway both during the day and night is fraught with dangers. A lot of people have been attacked on the ‘long bridge,’ which is a stretch on the busy highway from Warewa to Kara, by hoodlums who lay siege under the bridge. We don’t have a listening government in this part of the world because I know several people have been attacked while some have even lost their lives on the bridge due to attacks from hoodlums who suddenly emerge from under the bridge.

“Security forces should comb the underground and I am sure a lot of things would be uncovered. I am calling on Governor Ibikunle Amosun to come to the aid of commuters plying the road,” he said.