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 unstable persons.
A visit by Roving Reporters to the bridge, located at the Post Office Junction, revealed a disturbing scene of filth, neglect, and vandalism. Once rehabilitated to promote safe crossing, the bridge has now degenerated into a public toilet and a hideout for lunatics.
Human waste littered the walkway, while the security lights installed to illuminate the bridge at night have been vandalized. Cleaning personnel, according to findings, have long abandoned the site due to its deplorable and unhygienic condition.
Residents say the degeneration began after the removal of concrete barriers (jerseys) previously placed on the median to prevent people from crossing the highway directly.
“Once they removed those concrete blocks, everyone stopped using the bridge. Now it’s filled with mad people and human waste,” lamented Mrs. Dupe Alade, a trader around Post Office Junction. “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,” he said.
A visit by our correspondent confirmed the offensive odour emanating from the bridge, with railings and light poles stripped bare by vandals. Residents also fear it could soon become a den for criminals.
“If anything happens on that bridge at night, nobody will know,” said Mrs. Toyin Adeoye, a trader at Erekesan Market. “They should clean it up or pull it down. It’s not safe for women or children.”
Consequently, many 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 threat.
Waste Management Boss Reacts
The Chairperson of the Ondo State Waste Management Authority, Mrs. Yinka Alabi, has expressed concern over the deplorable condition of the pedestrian bridge, describing it as “unfortunate” and “deeply worrying.”
Reacting to reports that the bridge has been turned into a public toilet and refuge for lunatics, Mrs. Alabi said the agency was aware of the situation and had already taken steps to address it.
“It’s unfortunate that the pedestrian bridge has been turned into that kind of a place,” she said. “When we got wind of it, I personally went there with some of my officers. We recorded the situation and immediately ordered a cleanup.”
According to her, officers of the Authority were dispatched to evacuate refuse and human waste, and the bridge was cleaned up.
“We have videos as evidence,” she added. “But unfortunately, within a few days, people went back there and messed it up again. Even when we visited three days ago, there was fresh human waste everywhere.”
Mrs. Alabi explained that the problem persists because the bridge has been closed off and abandoned, allowing miscreants to occupy it unnoticed.
“We’re sending our men there again to police and monitor the place,” she said. “But honestly, that may not be sustainable. The main problem is that the bridge is closed. Once it’s reopened and people begin to use it again, nobody will be bold enough to turn it into a toilet or hideout.”
She traced the root of the problem to the removal of the concrete barriers that once forced pedestrians to use the bridge.
“When the median was blocked, people had no choice but to use the bridge,” Alabi said. “But now that those barriers have been removed, pedestrians prefer crossing the road instead, leaving the bridge deserted.”
She also revealed that waste management officers often face harassment from squatters and scavengers who refuse to vacate the area.
“Sometimes, when our women go there to clean, they get chased away,” she noted. “These people keep returning no matter how many times we clear them out.”
Mrs. Alabi, however, assured residents that the Authority would continue to clean the bridge and collaborate with security agencies to restore sanity to the area.
