By Roving Reporters
The only pedestrian bridge in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has become an eyesore and a source of concern to residents, traders, and commuters — after being abandoned and taken over by mentally challenged persons.
A visit by Roving Reporters to the bridge located at Post Office Junction revealed a disturbing scene of filth, neglect, and vandalism.
The walkway, once rehabilitated to promote safe crossing, has now been reduced to a public toilet and hideout for lunatics.
Human waste littered the bridge, while the security lights installed to provide illumination at night have all been vandalized.
The cleaning personnel, according to findings, have since abandoned the site due to its unhygienic state.
Residents say the degeneration began after the concrete barriers (jerseys) previously placed on the median road — to prevent pedestrians from crossing — were removed, allowing people to resume crossing the highway instead of using the bridge.
“Once they removed those concrete blocks, everyone stopped using the bridge. Now it’s filled with mad people and human waste,” said Mrs. Dupe Alade, a trader around Post Office. “Nobody wants to pass through that place again. It’s like a death trap.”
Another road user, Mr. Bayo Aluko, a commercial driver, described the situation as shameful for a state capital.
“That bridge was meant to make Akure look modern and safe. But look at it now — a home for mad people. Government should be ashamed to leave it like this.”
A visit by our correspondent confirmed that the bridge emits offensive odours, and its railings and light poles have been stripped by vandals. Residents also fear it could become a hideout for criminals.
“If anything happens on that bridge at night, nobody will know,” lamented Mrs. Toyin Adeoye, a market woman at the nearby Erekesan Market. “They should clean it up or pull it down. It’s not safe for women or children.”
Meanwhile, commuters now prefer dashing across the busy dual carriageway — despite the risk — rather than use the abandoned bridge.
The development has reignited calls for urgent government intervention to rehabilitate the structure, restore lighting, and clear the area of mentally unstable persons before it becomes a full-blown security hazard.
