Incessant defecation on the pedestrian bridge in the Ile-Epo area of Alimosho Local Government Area in Lagos State have made pedestrians abandon the bridge and resorted to crossing the highway.
The residents on Monday said the fear of contracting disease due to the stench from the faeces on the bridge had made them resort to crossing the highway.
When the area was visited on Monday, it was observed that road users in the area were seen crossing the highway despite the presence of officials of the Lagos State Kick Against Indiscipline.
A road user, Taoreed Jamiu, noted that he was aware of the dangers involved in crossing the highway, but the bad state of the bridge made him resort to crossing the highway.
“It is not that I am not aware of the dangers of crossing the highway, but when you go through that bridge, it is not safe for your health. Using that bridge is like exposing yourself to disease because of the faeces on it, it is always smelling,” he said.
A trader, Anike Ajibade, said those who defecate on the bridge do so at night, which makes it difficult for traders in the area to know those responsible for the actions.
Another road user who identified herself simply as Mrs Rahman attributed the current state of the bridge to what she described as the nonchalant attitude of enforcement officers.
“This bridge was not like this and I used to pass through it very well, but after they constructed this LAMATA bus stop and the fact that the officers who were supposed to do monitoring are not effective, it has led to people defecating on it,” she said.
A KAI official who spoke on condition of anonymity said miscreants who loiter around the bridge at night were responsible for the open defecation.
“I learnt that it is at night that they defecate on the bridge, mostly when we have closed for the day. Due to the nature of our work, we don’t do night shifts, this makes it possible for the perpetrators to carry out these bad acts,” he said.
When contacted, the Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Adekunle Adesina, said immediate action would be taken on the matter.
Adesina said, “The ministry is not aware of this. But since you have brought it to our attention, officials from the Sanitation Services Department will visit the bridge for an inspection.
“As a follow-up to the inspection, enforcement action may be carried out through our anti-open defecation squad as well as the Kick Against Indiscipline squad. The severity of the open defecation will determine what action to be taken upon our physical inspection.”
Adesina urged members of the public to make use of public toilets rather than carrying out open defecation, which he described as detrimental to healthy living.
