Have
you ever wondered what goes down under the popular 'under bridge' in
the commercial city of Lagos? This report exposes the illicit
activities, crimes and more, perpetrated under the Lagos bridges.
File photo: Lagos under bridge
Before the former Governor of Lagos State, Babtunde Fashola,
launched the gentle revolution that restored sanity and beautified many
locations under flyovers, popularly known as “under bridge” in
Lagos, most of them were safe havens for all kinds of criminal
activities, from substance abuse, fighting with deadly weapons, robbery
and rape, among others.
However, all these were eradicated when Fashola carried his tree
planting campaign to most, if not all, of such places in the state. That
bold step dislodged the roughnecks from their havens, giving a new
lease of life to Lagosians.
For instance, under the bridge in Oshodi, in Oshodi Local
Government Area, used to be one of the most dangerous spots in the
state. It used to be a beehive of criminal activities, peopled by
marijuana-smoking hooligans, who snatched handbags, picked pockets,
raped and even killed passers-by, especially late in the night.
It was so notorious that at no time of the day was an average
person completely safe there. Anything could happen at any time. It did
not have to be at night before a crime was committed there.
Government after government tried to purge Oshodi of the malaise
but none succeeded, until Fashola came with his magic wand that rid the
area of thugs and gave it a facelift.
The same thing happened in places like Ojuelegba under bridge,
Ijora under bridge, Railway Line under bridge and Ikeja under bridge,
among others.
After Fashola’s purge, Oshodi under bridge became safe and the
place wore a new look and was so well-lit that one could hardly
distinguish night from daytime at the place.
Ikeja under bridge also wore a new look, as a roundabout was
constructed, complete with a fence and flowers. All the adjoining spaces
were also cleared of any kind of activity. Ikeja under bridge was
sanitised to the extent that residents became proud of the place.
At Ijora, the story was not different. The criminal elements that
made life hell for Lagosians were completely driven away. A roundabout
was constructed with a fence and flowers, while an armoured police
vehicle was stationed there to ensure that people were protected from
any kind of attack.
The Railway Line under bridge, located opposite the Nigerian
Breweries complex in Iganmu, where all kinds of businesses, from auto
mechanics to vulcanising, welding works to sale of condemned diesel,
fairly used home appliances and office equipment as well as the criminal
activities of miscreants flourished, was also cleaned up.
The place wore a new look and nobody, especially squatters, was
allowed to stay there. Though there was no garden planted there, the
area was neat and appeared safe for people to pass through any time of
the day.
When this revolution by Fashola’s administration was going on, many
believed that it would not stand the test of time, as they would return
to what they were as soon as he left office. Others, however, held
that, once the miscreants were dislodged, they would not have the
audacity to regroup and return, as the places would no longer be safe
for their nefarious activities.
However, less than two years after Fashola’s exit, the
aforementioned places in Lagos have regained most of the features that
made them stink. Businesses have continued to boom as usual in some of
them, with criminal elements back with vigour in their numbers.
When Daily Sun visited some of the places, which were once cleared of vices, they were all filled with all kinds of activities.
Oshodi under bridge
A close observation of activities at Oshodi under bridge showed
that it has relapsed to its old self. Gradually but steadily, it is
regaining all its former unwholesome characteristics. Those features
that made it notorious before Fashola’s clampdown are taking centre
stage once more. The roughnecks are back in their numbers.
Like before, Oshodi now accommodates a large chunk of homeless
Lagosians. But, this time, many of these destitute are under-aged boys.
Although it is still safe to pass through the place during the day, such
cannot be said at night, especially during late hours.
The day look of the spot belies its sinister nature, which only
materialises at night. Filled with a potpourri of activities, it booms,
as many people move up and down, to and fro, while others hang around
standing, sitting and even lying down.
Each person you find within the vicinity has one or two reasons for
being there. As people do their thing, the long buses, popularly called
‘Molue,’ as well as small buses discharge commuters on the service lane
right under the bridge, thereby increasing the tempo of activities
around there.
While serious-minded Nigerians mill around the place, struggling to
find their way, the roughnecks also mill around but without any effort
to get out of the way. To them, they are in their comfort zone. They
always wear tell-tale tags. They appear frail, shabbily dressed,
disheveled, red-eyed and lethargic.
From investigation, what has happened is that, with the demolition
of the Oshodi Main Electronics Market and Aso Rock Garage, the
activities of the bad boys have moved to the Safejo Garage side of the
same under bridge.
Today, they have added to their numbers young impressionable boys,
whose age ranges between 10 and 17. They are either standing, sitting on
the road median or sleeping at an elevated corner by the edge of the
bridge.
To an observant passer-by, the presence of such people is an
indication that the place is a danger zone at certain hours of the day.
But many people do not take note of this class of people. They are the
people that make the spot tick.
Between 10pm and midnight, when the hustle and bustle have eased,
the chickens would come home to roost. The place would be overrun by the
youngsters, who have found in it a comfortable abode. Both those who
hang around during the day and others from other places, such as Mushin
and other parts of Oshodi, would all converge on the spot.
At that hour, all the rickety vehicles as well as those waiting for
the next day’s job, make-shift shops, kiosks and other near-safe
containers become their sleeping places.
Yet, there are other teenage boys, who hang onto the doors of
‘danfo’ buses, calling for passengers at that ungodly hour of night.
They are bus conductors who brave all odds at that age to mingle with
such adult roughnecks.
They live on the street, independent of their parents. They form
the bulk of the new occupants of Oshodi under bridge. After the day’s
struggle, they all retire to the place, where they are exposed to all
kinds of danger, including sexual assault by the adult gay that take
advantage of their innocence to perpetrate such evil.
Speaking about the children, whose activities have become prominent
in the area, an elderly man who works with the National Union of Road
Transport Workers (NURTW), Oshodi Branch, said: “Just check from
under this bridge down to the point where BRT buses stop and up to the
point where Heritage Bank is situated and you would marvel at the number
of the under-aged boys working as bus conductors at such an ungodly
hour of the night.
"They are not even afraid of anything. Most of the drivers they
work with are hemp-smokers, who drive like there is no tomorrow and the
boys don’t give a hoot. I understand that most of them are street
children who left their various homes to live this kind of Spartan life.
They fend for themselves. They are exposed to all kinds of dangers,
which sometimes lead to their death without the knowledge of their
parents.”
Investigations revealed that some of them did not plan to live
under the Oshodi flyover but circumstances forced them into such a life.
Today, many of them live there, where they mingle with adult criminals
under whose tutelage they also emerge as tormentors of society.
Checks equally showed that life under Oshodi bridge is akin to the
Hobbesian society, nasty, poor, short and brutish. It is the survival of
the fittest. The children are molested sexually by adult homosexuals,
who often rape them.
According to a man who identified himself simply as James and who
said he had lived at the place long before Fashola’s revolution, the
place provides a home to many homeless Nigerians.
He said: “Not all the people who sleep here are criminals. Some
people are stranded and have nowhere to go. So, such people would
resign to fate and take the risk of sleeping there pending when they
could locate any of their relations in Lagos. But, while the person
stays there, he would have to go through the baptism of fire.
“Yes, you don’t just come to sleep at the place and resign
yourself to fate without a scratch. No, it is not possible. The place is
like a jungle and there are people who are in charge of the jungle.
Such people are not in their right frame of mind; at night, something
would have to be given in order to guarantee your safety.
"It could be money or clothes or any other property with you.
You could also be subjected to sexual assault because many of those who
are lords in that jungle are gay.
“Fashola tried to dislodge us but that was only temporary. We
knew when he was clamping down on us that it was only a matter of time
before we re-grouped. Where is Fashola now? Has he not finished his own
time? Yes, he is gone and gone for good and we are back to base.
Although the place is not as bad as it was before Fashola, things are
beginning to happen again.”
James further revealed that the idea of adult gay forcing under-aged boys to bed is a new development in life under the bridge:
“Usually, it used to be robbery, street fighting, pick-pocket and rape
of women. This issue of older men sleeping with young boys by force is
new and it is dangerous because the kids could contract some of the
deadly sexually transmitted infections, like HIV/AIDS.
"Remember that many of the kids still have the opportunity of
being taken back to civilised society and if they are infected with a
disease such as HIV, what will be their fate when they are fully
re-integrated into the society?”
However, life under Oshodi bridge is not all about adult thugs who
abuse all sorts of hard drugs and teenage boys under their tutelage. It
is also about the ladies, who do brisk business selling their bodies.
They are also categorised into different groups, depending on their
modus operandi.
There are ladies who hawk drinks and cigarette at the spot during
the day and early at night. This class of ladies also hawks sex in
addition to their wares but only the initiates know their other article
of trade.
There are other ladies who only parade their bodies for the highest
bidders. These ones are also neck-deep in the abuse of hard drugs. They
sometimes offer free sex to the lords of the jungle, who always use
abandoned or parked vehicles as their boudoir.
Source: Daily Sun
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