Ogun State takes action against beggars and traders on pedestrian bridges

Some traders on the bridge. Photo: Moyinoluwa Oluyemi

The Ogun State Government has started removing beggars and illegal traders from the pedestrian bridges at Ibafo and Mowe on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. This is part of their plan to restore order and improve safety for pedestrians.

On Monday, officials from the state environmental marshals were seen chasing away traders and beggars from the bridge. They warned them not to come back.

This enforcement comes months after PUNCH Metro reported how traders had taken over the pedestrian bridges. Many commuters had to squeeze through crowded walkways or risk crossing the busy road.

One of the marshals, who called himself the commander of the enforcement team, did not give his name. He said he was not allowed to speak for the agency. He mentioned that the operation was based on the state Ministry of Environment's orders.

He said, "The officers were sent to make sure that no one trades or begs on the bridges. I don’t have the right to grant interviews. You can only get that from the ministry in Abeokuta. But the ministry said nobody must sell here. They sent us here to chase away the beggars and those selling on the bridge. We are also carrying out the same operation at the Mowe bridge."

He added, "We will be coming here every day. Some officers have been assigned to monitor this place daily to ensure that nobody begs or sells on the bridge."

A resident of Ibafo named Aremu spoke to our correspondent. She said the bridge is much clearer now after the enforcement started.

She explained that before this operation, traders took up a large part of the bridge every day, making it hard for pedestrians to move around.

“It is only today that people have been allowed to use the bridge freely because the environmental marshals cleared the traders. Before now, many people used to stay on the bridge and sell different things,” she said.

Aremu noted that traders often sold jewellery, underwear, fruits, and other necessary items. This attracted many commuters who liked the convenience.

While she agreed that trading on the bridge blocked movement, she said the country's economic situation has pushed many people to look for other ways to earn a living.

“I cannot completely discourage them because many of them have families to feed. There are not enough affordable places for them to sell, so they come here where people can easily see and patronise them,” she added.

PUNCH Metro saw that the two pedestrian bridges were mostly free of roadside traders. This allowed pedestrians to walk without any obstruction, unlike previous visits when the walkways were crowded with stalls and goods.