THIRD MAINLAND BRIDGE CLOSURE: ROBBERS AMBUSH COMMUTERS STUCK IN TRAFFIC
Commuters in Lagos have begun to experience some of their worst fears since the State government announced the closure of the third mainland bridge for repairs.- Unbearable Traffic.
Barely a week after the bridge was closed, commuters en route Apapa and Lagos Island were robbed along Ojueleba-stadium-barrack road.
Raheem Akingbolu. A journalist with Thisday newspaper on his Facebook page revealed that adding to the woes of sitting in traffic for hours, highway robbers took advantage of the traffic gridlock caused by the closure of the third mainland bridge to unleash mayhem on commuters on Sunday night.
Akingbolu gave an eyewitness account of how about 12 men armed with hammers and cutlasses emerged from the other side of the road and attacked cars at random. With no security men at sight, the commuters were like sitting ducks. The criminals dispossessed commuters of their belongings. In minutes, windscreens were smashed, and valuables were stolen.
Akingbolu could count five vehicles that were robbed within the area where he was, and the occupants lost their wristwatches, gold accessories, phones, wallets containing ATM and ID cards and cash to the thieves.
After the unfortunate encounter with the robbers, the commuters who were not driving were told to come down from their cars and walk on both sides of the road to provide a sense of security.
Robbers taking advantage of traffic gridlock to ambush commuters is one of the bases that ought to have been covered by the security officers in the State.
Earlier in the month, Eons Intelligence published an eye witness account of how hoodlums took advantage of the heavy traffic on Oshodi bridge to rob stranded motorists in broad daylight.
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The third mainland bridge would be closed for 6 months for repairs. The citizens have resigned their fate to endure the traffic. However, relevant authorities must beef up security on all Lagos roads to ensure that the lives and properties of commuters stuck in traffic are protected.
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