Afriqan:
I noticed several months ago that almost everywhere you drive in Lagos, you'll notice that manhole covers are stolen even on express roads like Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Express road, Ikotun, Cele Express and even on the Island.

I've come to the conclusion that those responsible for the theft are scrap metal collectors and dealers popularly called "iron codemn" but the way they carry it out without anyone to challenge them makes me believe that local boys (aka omo adugbo) may be collaborating with them as you can't come from another area and steal something without involving the locals.

I wonder what the Lagos State government is doing about this as it has caused loss of lives in many cases. I am yet to hear of anyone getting apprehended for stealing manhole covers in Lagos... What is Alausa doing!!!

Please consider gracing the front page with this vital information...

lonelydora:
Haa! I have been shouting this since.

Even in Port Harcourt, they have stolen almost all of them. They have stolen those in the newly built Artillery flyover.

All man way covers along Eneka road, Peter Odili road, Slaughter road, etc. have all been stolen. My advice to motorists is to avoid road edges when driving.

Afriqan:
I noticed several months ago that almost everywhere you drive in Lagos, you'll notice that manhole covers are stolen even on express roads like Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Express road, Ikotun, Cele Express and even on the Island.

I've come to the conclusion that those responsible for the theft are scrap metal collectors and dealers popularly called "iron codemn" but the way they carry it out without anyone to challenge them makes me believe that local boys (aka omo adugbo) may be collaborating with them as you can't come from another area and steal something without involving the locals.

I wonder what the Lagos State government is doing about this as it has caused loss of lives in many cases. I am yet to hear of anyone getting apprehended for stealing manhole covers in Lagos... What is Alausa doing!!!

Please consider gracing the front page with this vital information...

naptu2:
Something really bad happened this morning. Thank God that it wasn't much worse.

I got off the bridge at the Ikoyi end and there was a man that was running in front of me. The man accidently stepped on one of the tyres above the manholes and he went down.

Thank God that he didn't fall in completely and thank God also that he wasn't terribly hurt. He was on the ground for a while until I and some other people helped him up.


People have been stealing the manhole covers at the Alexander Avenue Roundabout for a while. The covers are often replaced and then these criminals steal them again. So, right now, it seems that the government has gotten tired of replacing them and in order to prevent people from falling in, some people have placed tyres over the manholes to alert members of the public of the danger.

Yet those things are still a hazard.


The criminals do not steal the manhole covers on the bridge or the ones at the Lekki end of the bridge, but for some strange reason they keep stealing the covers at the Alexander Avenue Roundabout.

naptu2:
I took these pictures around 5 o’clock this morning, just so that you can understand what I’m talking about.

This manhole is at the Alexander Avenue Roundabout in Ikoyi. It is at the end of the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge. This is the manhole that a jogger fell into. He was a middle aged man and he was jogging in front of me. Apparently he did not see the manhole (the tyres in the manhole were a lot lower at that time) and he stepped on the tyre and went down. Luckily he didn’t fall all the way in and I and some other people had to help him up.

(Picture 1 below)

This is another manhole at the same roundabout. My apologies for the quality of the picture, I hadn’t stopped moving at the time that the picture was taken. All the manholes at the roundabout are like this (their covers have been stolen).

(Picture 2 below)

This manhole is right at the beginning of the bridge (just a short distance from the other manholes above). I suspect that the thieves are afraid to steal this manhole cover because it is right in front of the RRS point (there are policemen and an armoured personnel carrier right beside this sidewalk). There are also CCTV cameras on the bridge. This is the same kind of manhole cover that was stolen from the manholes at the Alexander Avenue Roundabout.

(Picture 3 below)

This is a concrete manhole cover. All the manholes that are on the bridge have concrete manhole covers. Another reason that these covers have not been stolen is that there are policemen and CCTV cameras on the bridge.

(Picture 4 below)


This is a manhole on Admiralty Way on the Lekki side of the bridge. It is 70% concrete and 30% metal and it has not been stolen (probably because there is another RRS point nearby.

(Picture 5 below)


You can also see that the railings on the bridge are made of concrete. This is because of the terrible experience that the government had with the 3rd Mainland, Eko and Carter bridges. Vandals stole the metal railings of those bridges regularly.

(Picture 6 below)

CJ310:
We are too criminally minded in this country. It’s the same way they steal bridge guard rails and wire mesh fences. Hunger in the land is no excuse to commit crime.

Theft of man hole covers = increase in road accidents

Theft of bridge guard rails = people/vehicles could fall off

Theft of wire mesh fences = silly people would try to cross express, leading to accident.

Afriqan:
I noticed several months ago that almost everywhere you drive in Lagos, you'll notice that manhole covers are stolen even on express roads like Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Express road, Ikotun, Cele Express and even on the Island.

I've come to the conclusion that those responsible for the theft are scrap metal collectors and dealers popularly called "iron codemn" but the way they carry it out without anyone to challenge them makes me believe that local boys (aka omo adugbo) may be collaborating with them as you can't come from another area and steal something without involving the locals.

I wonder what the Lagos State government is doing about this as it has caused loss of lives in many cases. I am yet to hear of anyone getting apprehended for stealing manhole covers in Lagos... What is Alausa doing!!!

Please consider gracing the front page with this vital information...

Equiano:
I plunged into one on Saturday along ikorodu road.(idiroko bus stop)

talk2maurice:










So much hunger in the land.
I dedicate this FTC to all those that are hungry in the land.

CJ310:
We are too criminally minded in this country. It’s the same way they steal bridge guard rails and wire mesh fences. Hunger in the land is no excuse to commit crime.

Theft of man hole covers = increase in road accidents

Theft of bridge guard rails = people/vehicles could fall off

Theft of wire mesh fences = silly people would try to cross express, leading to accident.

Cosmatikka:


No dey talk we. Everyone knows it's these abokis that are stealing those metal wares to sell. Don't bring hardworking Yorubas and Igbos into this one

LastProphet:


Almajiri are 98% responsible

Afriqan:
I noticed several months ago that almost everywhere you drive in Lagos, you'll notice that manhole covers are stolen even on express roads like Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Express road, Ikotun, Cele Express and even on the Island.

I've come to the conclusion that those responsible for the theft are scrap metal collectors and dealers popularly called "iron codemn" but the way they carry it out without anyone to challenge them makes me believe that local boys (aka omo adugbo) may be collaborating with them as you can't come from another area and steal something without involving the locals.

I wonder what the Lagos State government is doing about this as it has caused loss of lives in many cases. I am yet to hear of anyone getting apprehended for stealing manhole covers in Lagos... What is Alausa doing!!!

Please consider gracing the front page with this vital information...

naptu2:


Many people have been apprehended over the years but it keeps happening because they make a lot of money from using the covers as scrap metal. There have also been several threads about it (I have created some), but the practice continues.

Some people have suggested using concrete as manhole covers, instead of metals, so that the thieves won't be able to sell it for scrap metal, but I've actually seen concrete manhole covers that have been broken.

iCauseTrouble:
Not only in Lagos State but also in Abuja. Those scrap vendors are responsible for stealing it.
Those they are selling it to should be held responsible. If there is no buyer for it, they won't steal it.
Also, the government can make use of concrete to make it less attractive for thieves

iCauseTrouble:
Not only in Lagos State but also in Abuja. Those scrap vendors are responsible for stealing it.
Those they are selling it to should be held responsible. If there is no buyer for it, they won't steal it.
Also, the government can make use of concrete to make it less attractive for thieves

CJ310:


In collaboration with local miscreants

do4luv14:



the second pix is no proper way to make a concrete manhole cover, it's way too light, hence easy to be broken

it's should be made tick, like the thickness of the road, or better still 4ft thick