Panseke Pedestrian Bridge in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Overrun by Criminals

The Panseke pedestrian bridge in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, has been seized by miscreants and gangsters, creating an unsafe environment for residents and exposing them to harassment, theft, and other distressing incidents.

In addition to serving as a criminal hideout, the footbridge, located in the heart of Abeokuta South Local Government Area, has become a dwelling place for mentally challenged individuals and destitutes, exacerbating the already deteriorating condition of the infrastructure.

Constructed and commissioned during the tenure of former Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the bridge, touted as the longest pedestrian bridge in sub-Saharan Africa, now stands as a symbol of neglect and urban decay.

The Panseke Pedestrian Bridge was designed to enhance safety due to heavy traffic and ease the movement of pedestrians, particularly students, traders and other residents.

However, due to inadequate maintenance and gradual neglect over the years, the bridge has become an eyesore and breeding ground for criminality.

More worrisome, according to observers, is the lukewarm disposition of the administration of incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun which has refused to carry out any remedial action on the failing facility.

Safe haven for destitutes and drug users

Once hailed as wonderment because of its octopus-like shape, the Panseke pedestrian bridge has sadly become a shadow of its former self. Over the years, the once secure overpass has fallen prey to the encroachment of mentally challenged individuals and armed robbers.

Their presence has created an environment of uncertainty, making it hazardous for pedestrians, including school children and traders, who now face the dilemma of abandoning the bridge altogether.

Instead of serving its purpose, the project is now being used as a shelter for criminals, beggars, homeless as well as drug users and peddlers.

“It so unfortunate that the bridge has been turned to a criminals’ den. Everyday, people complain about the crime that is going on on the bridge. The most worrisome is the exposure of children, particularly primary and secondary school pupils to crime.

“From one end to the other, the bridge is covered by beggars and people using and peddling drugs,” a trader Sulaimon Adekunle said.

Refuse dump and defecation site

In addition to its prevalent crime-aiding, the bridge now constitutes a serious environmental problem following indiscriminate dumping of refuse and open defecation which have continued unabated.

The stench oozing from the bridge, especially after rainfall, may have forced some other users to completely abandon it. A random check on the pedestrian bridge showed how it was dotted with heaps of refuse, fresh and dry faeces and urine.

A trader, Bisi Balogun, attributed the open defecation on the bridge to those she described as homeless children and beggars who have been taking shelter on it.

Balogun said the problem persisted because of the failure of the state government to apprehend and punish perpetrators.

According to her, the bridge does not only constitute an environmental danger, but has also become a monumental disgrace to the government which she said can no longer maintain its infrastructure.

Balogun said, “This issue of open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse have become a recurring problem. Most times when rain falls, it washes down the faeces, leaving us at the mercy of the stench oozing out of the faeces and placing traders at the risk of epidemic outbreak.

“What I have observed is that there are some children and other destitute who used to sleep on this bridge and in most cases, they are responsible for defecating on the bridge.

“This act usually goes on during the night and the government has refused to do anything about it. Nobody is taking care of the bridge, no presence of security personnel; the government has just failed in its responsibility of keeping the people safe.”

Armed robbers’ Den

Users of the bridge now face harassment, intimidation and robbery attacks from criminals. Suspected criminals who specialize in snatching of bags, phones and other valuables usually target women and older people.

Investigation by our reporter revealed that, the robbers who work in groups of three to four make of use of knives and other dangerous weapons to dispossess their victims of their belongings.

Robbery attacks, just like indiscriminate refuse dumping and defecation, are usually carried out under the cover of the night.

The absence of security personnel and lighting around the bridge even makes it easier for robbers to operate without check.

Narrating her ordeal on the bridge to our correspondent, Mrs. Kabirat Adekunle said she lost her phones and the sum of N250,000 to robbers in one night.

“I was robbed by a group of young boys who pulled a knife at me and ordered me to hand over my bag.

“I was on my way home after the close of work that particular day. It was around 9:00pm, I was already tired and I decided to use the bridge to get to the other side of the road for me get a cab home.

“I noticed two young boys coming behind me and another boy, who I’m sure must be around 16 years of age approaching me. I became suspicious of their movement and this prompted me to increase my pace.

“But before I could shout or raise alarm, I was cornered, they pulled a knife at me and ordered me to hand over my bag and phones.

“Unfortunately there was nobody to help as everywhere was dark. I was so terrified, everything happened so fast. I had to obey them to avoid being thrown down from the bridge.

“Since the unfortunate incident, I have stopped using the bridge,” Adekunle said.

Our correspondent gathered that, robberies and other criminal activities have been going on unabated despite several reports to the government and security agencies.

Median iron rods vandalized, residents call for urgent action

In a stark turn of events, the iron rods used to barricade the medians on the Panseke road and prevent pedestrians from indiscriminate crossing of the highway have been vandalized and looted by suspected vandals. This development has further exposed the government’s inaction towards ensuring the safety of the people.

Residents have, however, called on the government to expedite action and find a lasting solution to the problem.

One of our respondents, Wasiu Oyerinde, lamented that the deplorable state of the bridge and the vandalism of the median rods have defeated the purpose of the bridge.

He appealed to the government to urgently repair the fallen roofs of the pedestrian bridge and get security personnel to secure it and users from armed robbers.

Oyerinde said, “The situation demands urgent attention from the authorities. The safety of the people who use on this bridge should be prioritized and swift action is necessary to address the challenges that have arisen.

“Public spaces, especially those intended to serve as crucial points for pedestrians’ safety, must be maintained and protected.

“The government needs to collaborate with relevant agencies and community organizations to devise a comprehensive plan to reclaim the Panseke Pedestrian Bridge.

“This plan should not only address the immediate concerns of safety and security, but also explore long-term solutions to prevent the recurrence of such issues.

“To the residents of Abeokuta, it is incumbent upon each of us to safeguard our shared public spaces and report any acts of vandalism or destruction.

“Let us take charge of government property, including the Panseke Pedestrian Bridge. Report individuals caught damaging or endangering the infrastructure.

“Furthermore, we implore the Dapo Abiodun-led administration to swiftly intervene and take decisive action to prevent further damages.

“Repairing the already damaged portions of the bridge is crucial not only for the safety of pedestrians, but also for maintaining the integrity of our city’s infrastructure.

“Together, with collective responsibility and prompt government action, we can preserve and enhance the well-being of our community.

“The authorities must rise to the occasion, ensure that the infrastructure is restored and maintained and guarantee the safety of all citizens who rely on it for their daily commuting.

“The time for action is now, as neglecting this issue only perpetuates the risk and compromises the well-being of the people of Abeokuta.”

Ogun Govt reacts

Reacting, the state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, described the bridge as being defective in structure making it difficult for the physically challenged and the aged to use.

Oresanya said the government was forced to remove the median barriers to allow people cross the road instead of using the bridge.

Oresanya said, “In Panseke, there are two issues around that area. The Panseke’s bridge is one thing, then the destitute that stay around that area is another thing and the market around that area is the third. So, we have three issues in one here.

“The bridge is constructed so that the pedestrians can use it to cross the road; that same bridge, you will found out that only few pedestrians can use it, people on wheelchair, physically challenged will not be able to cross that bridge. Is there any alternative organised for them? No! (But) we are working on that.

“So, that bridge in itself, has some kind of defects maybe the construction because I don’t see areas where physically challenged people can climb that bridge. So when we stop people from crossing the road, we have the issue of how the physically challenged people can cross the road, and how will the aged cross the road. So we need to redefine probably zebra crossing around that area, where motorists will have a place to wait for pedestrians, and for physically challenged to cross safely on pedestrian walkway in the area.

“We have to put gate there to stop destitute from sleeping on the bridge in the night and defecating on it because what we heard is that people can’t use that bridge at night and the destitute that stay there rob people, sleep and defecate there. We cannot put police men there to stay on the bridge to working who will sleep their overnight, so they have to be locking that bridge around 6:00pm to stop it in the night.

“Let’s talk about the destitute those who are sleeping on that bridge, if you see the bridge we have a lot of people from the northern part of Nigeria who are there, they are okada riders that have no homes, they sleep on their okada, they buy food and defecate there.

“The key issue is that by the time we started moving them out, the journalist and the civil liberty organisations are the ones that will start crying that why should they move Nigerians, that they are Nigerians they have the right to live.

“So about the refuse around that area under that bridge, you will see a refuse bin there, we also put smaller ones around the place but we have been packing out faeces, dead babies out of those bins. When their children die they don’t bury them, they will just dump it in the bin.

“We are looking at it holistically; people keep breaking the iron rods because they have to cross the road. They cannot climb. So we have to remove some of those iron rods deliberately about two weeks ago, so we can put zebra crossing in that place, it’s a major social problem.

“We have about three or four ministries that are meeting on how to solve this problem and to resettle those people who are homeless. We will get a place where they can stay, we have already identified one location not too far away from that place, so they can stay in that particular place and we have to evacuate them completely from that place.”