Since November 27, 2017, Mr Johnson Ibrahim has developed a phobia for the long bridge, which stretches from Wawa to Fatgbem Bus Stop on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. There is no time he approaches the bridge without suffering a mental trauma. Ibrahim was attacked by a bandit on the bridge and he nearly lost his life in the process. Although he now walks with a limp, he is grateful to God for saving his life. He considers himself fortunate to be alive, having said his last prayers before the unknown assailant pounced on him.

Two days before the attack, the radiator of his car had developed a fault, thereby making the temperature of the vehicle’s engine to rise. Then at about 5am on November 27, 2017, Ibrahim, who lives in Mowe on the outskirts of Lagos, drove outof his residence and headed for his automobile mechanic’s garage in Lagos. He had planned to get the car fixed on that day.

He had kept a bottle of water in the car, with the intention to stop and refill the radiator whenever the engine showed signs of overheating. Before setting out on the journey, he had prayed that the same engine would not stall on the long bridge, having read frightening reports in the newspapers about people getting killed and their mutilated bodies dumped by the killers on the bridge.

Unfortunately, that morning his prayer was not answered. The temperature of the engine went up again, exactly in the middle of the bridge, and he had no other choice than to turn it off right there.

Recalling what happened on that morning, in an interview with one of our correspondents, Ibrahim says, “It was nearly 6am, but the road was already busy. Other vehicles were speeding as if they were in a racing contest, as I turned on the hazard lights of the car and pulled up on one side of the road. I remained in the car for more than five minutes, contemplating whether or not to open the door and check the engine.

“I knew danger might be lurking in the shadows, even at that time of day. But it was also rush-hour. So I thought it would be safe to come down and check the engine, but it turned out to be an error of judgment. I picked the bottle of water and opened the door. I opened the bonnet, but could not see clearly because of the headlights of oncoming cars. So, I went back to my car to get a flashlight. On returning to the bonnet, I was about to pick up the bottle of water when I suddenly saw the shadow of a man through the flashlight. Thank God for the flashlight or I wouldn’t have seen the assailant coming so fast. He would have struck me from behind with the machete in his hand.

“He was quite close. Panting heavily, he looked like a huge monkey. I was terrified and began to run. He came after me, striking me with the machete, from my head to back. When I realised I couldn’t escape, I turned around and fought back desperately. Other motorists drove past, while I struggled with the monster. I was hoping they would stop and help me, but nobody did. I managed to get hold of the machete and forced it out of his hand. But he brought out a knife. By that time, I was drenched in my own blood.

“At a point, he lifted me into the air and tried to throw me down the bridge. I resisted. Suddenly I found myself on the ground, immobilised. I couldn’t move my legs anymore. I waited for him to finish me off. But I didn’t hear anything again.

“Later I recalled that some motorists had stopped on the bridge and come out of their vehicles with weapons of sorts, including sticks. On seeing them, the assailant had fled into the bush. But none of those people wanted to come close to me for fear that my assailant’s and his gang might attack them. They wanted to go back to their cars and drive off. I shouted for help, but my voice was too weak to be heard. At a point, I heard the men saying, ‘We can’t come close to you, please.’ Fortunately for me, one young man summoned courage and pulling another person along, said, ‘Let us go and meet him.’”

Ibrahim spent several months at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi in Lagos, where he was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury and thereafter, treated. Although he survived the attack, the injuries he sustained still serve as a reminder of his close encounter with death.

“Anytime I remember the incident, I have a mental trauma. Each time I approach the long bridge, I feel traumatised,” he added.

Just two weeks ago, while driving inward Lagos at about 10.30pm, Mr Joel Akintunde, ran into a cow, which had strayed onto the road from the Kara Cattle Market nearby. “All of a sudden, I saw the cow in the middle of the road. It was very dark and I couldn’t avoid the collision because the road was already partitioned and narrowed down due to the ongoing construction work. My car was badly damaged,” he said.

Although Akintunde’s car was badly damaged, he is thankful that he survived the accident. Blaming the accident on the absence of streetlights on the road, he also lamented the absence of security personnel on the long bridge.

He said, “On Sunday night, I encountered a very enervating traffic jam that lasted about three hours on the long bridge. What made it quite scary was the fact that the road was dark and there was no security. Everyone knows that the long bridge is notorious for being a hideout of criminals. There have been stories about herdsmen attacking and even killing people on that bridge. It was a very scary experience. Everybody was on edge because we were just at the mercy of the hoodlums.

“Government should do something about it. While the ongoing construction work continues, the police should commence regular patrols on the bridge. Also, Julius Berger should ensure the bridge is well-lit at night to ensure safety of motorists and other road users.”

Mr Demola Alao, who regularly plies the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has also had his fair share of challenges, which are mostly due to the persistent gridlock on the road. “Last Thursday, before leaving my office in the evening, I decided to check Google map for the level of traffic on my route and I saw it was high. I waited till 11pm and observed that the situation had not improved. Since I was not prepared to spend the night in my office, I drove out of the premises only to be trapped in the holdup, which started from the long bridge.

“I called my co-workers to know how far they had gone and I discovered that some of them had decided to take a one-way option, which is quite risky. I spent about two hours in the traffic. The situation was really chaotic, with articulated vehicles occupying every inch of the road. One of them almost crushed my car, after overtaking wrongfully. I am grateful that I escaped with just a scratch. I got home that day around 2.30am,” he added.

Bimbo Oduyemi, whose workplace is located on the same route, said she always spent the night in her office anytime there was a gridlock on the expressway. She said the agencies coordinating traffic in the area should do something about broken-down trucks urgently.

The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State, Clement Oladele, said the agency was not unaware of the pain that motorists endured when using the road.

Oladele noted that officials of the agency, like other motorists, were also exposed to the same challenges. He said, “Due to the ongoing rehabilitation of the corridor, miscreants sometimes take advantage of motorists held in the traffic. This also exposes our operatives controlling traffic to risks, as they could be distracted to attend to such security breaches, instead of concentrating fully on ensuring unhindered traffic flow and preventing road accidents.”

He added that the police had been raiding identified black spots along the corridor. He urged members of the pubic to assist the security agencies with useful information. “Motorists should ensure their vehicles are also in good condition so that they don’t break down in bad spots where miscreants can gain access to them.

“We have recommended that the construction company currently rehabilitating the expressway should consider installing streetlights in order to improve security and ensure the safety of motorists, especially at night. The FRSC is also working with sister organisations to improve patrols on the road in order to curb security breaches during and after completion of rehabilitation of the corridor,” he added.

Reacting, Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the agency was trying its best to address the challenges facing motorists on the expressway. He noted that officials of the agency operated on three shifts every day. “However, the Nigerian Army and police are now more visible on the expressway than ever. They are also cooperating with other security and safety agencies. Moreso, there is a diversion on the route and all agencies have been mobilised to ensure safety of road users,” he said.

The Sector Head of Operations, FRSC, Lagos State, Mr Matthew Zango, said efforts were being made to address the gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. “When vehicles break down at night, we use equipment belonging to Julius Berger Plc to remove them. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency also comes to our aid,” he added.

Also, the Area Commander, Ojodu/Berger, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Mr Jubril Oshodi, said that since the reconstruction of the expressway commenced, he had not received any report that motorists were attacked on the road, adding that soldiers had been on frequent patrols.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he would call back, but he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

The Commissioner of Transportation in Lagos State, Dr Fredrick Oladehinde, said the state government would ensure completion of the ongoing reconstruction of the road in record time to reduce the hardship faced by commuters and motorists.

“We will do our best to ensure that it is finished by December. We advise commuters and motorists to be patient with us. The government is trying to expand the road to create more space and get traffic moving. We want people to be patient so we could conclude and everything will return to normal,” he said.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/imprisoned-by-lagos-ibadan-expressway-gridlock-motorists-forced-to-live-with-insecurity/