₦airaland Forum

Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt

A popular brothel known as Akamas located in Choba, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State was among property destroyed in an evening fire outbreak on Thursday.

It was gathered that the fire razed the entire brothel, leaving some sex workers and others in the place with no place to stay.
It was also learnt that the inferno was caused by a cooking gas used in the brothel by workers.

Some customers, who were inside the brothel with some prostitutes, were said to have rushed out of the place half naked in order to avoid being consumed by the inferno.

The inferno was said to have also affected about three houses close to the brothel as a result of the late arrival of fire fighters to the scene.

Choba, the area where the incident occurred is a host community to the University of Port Harcourt.

An eyewitness said that though no life was lost and no injury was recorded in the fire outbreak, property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

“The fire began at about 6pm and we believe it was caused by a cooking gas in the brothel. We also heard that the fire may have been ignited by a cooking gas,” the source said.

The raging fire, according to another source, destroyed everything in the brothel as no property was saved during the incident,

By Dayo Johnson,

Akure— Ondo State Police Command’s detectives have arrested a middle-aged man identified as Moses Alugo, for killing and burying his friend, who allegedly slept with his wife.

Police source said that some neighbours of the deceased told the man that his wife was usually seen with his friend, suggesting they were having an amorous affair.

The suspect was said to have challenged his friend who reportedly denied the allegation.

The source said the deceased left only to return, warning his friend of dire consequence if he failed to let go his wife. The source added that an argument ensued, leading to the death of the deceased.

He was later picked up by detectives from Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, CIID, for murder after the matter was reported.

Burial
However, it was gathered that the suspect, after committing the crime, reportedly buried his friend at Akinpelu Camp, Ode-Aye, before the incident was reported to the Police.

The state Police Command image maker, Femi Joseph, said that before detectives could get to the scene of the crime, the killer had buried the victim.

Joseph, who said the case had been transferred to the state CID for further investigation, described the incident as unfortunate and warned the people against taking laws into their hands.

The suspect, according to the police spokesman, would soon be charged to court after detectives are through with their preliminary investigation.

NgeneUkwenu:
Comments from the IPOB Youths are also welcomed!

lastpage:
Are you aware that the NCC has sold-off (CHEAPLY), Nigeria's broadband frequency, to MTN, under the last administration (just a few weeks to hand-over? )
They claimed to have done so, because they needed money for DIGITALISATION!

MTN must pay every dime of the fine in full, or get locked down.

...and that Spectrum-sale must be revoked ASAP.



Lastpage!

missprudence:
and they were owing them 3 months salary as at December.. Smh

A Federal High Court in Abuja has been urged to sack Senator Suleiman Asonya Adokwe, representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District, for allegedly presenting other people’s certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for election.

Adokwe assumed office in December 2015 having successfully challenged the election of Architect Salihu Hussaini Egyegbola in court.

Egyegbola of the All progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the senatorial election by INEC, a decision Adokwe contested at the election tribunal.

He lost at the tribunal, but succeeded at the Court of Appeal, which in a December 10, 2015 judgment voided Egyegbola’s election and ordered INEC to return Adokwe as winner of the election for the Nasarawa South Senatorial District.

The plaintiff, Mohammed Abubakar Ozegya, in the suit he filed through his lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, before the Federal High Court, Abuja, stated, in a supporting affidavit, that upon Adokwe’s assumption of office, he discovered from the Form CF001 he (Adokwe) submitted to INEC, that the Senator presented certificates bearing other people’s names.

Ozegya, who claimed to be an indigene of Nasarawa State, said he discovered, in the Form CF001CF001 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of person seeking election to the office or membership of the Senate) deposed to on December 16, 2014 at the High Court of Justice, Lafia, Nasarawa State, that the 1st defendant (Adokwe) “submitted the WAEC certificate of one Adokwe Solomon and primary school certificate of Sule Adokwai, purporting same to be his.

“It is a notorious fact in the Nasarawa South Senatorial District that the 1st defendant is, the certificate of one Adokwe Solomon and Sule Adokwai presented by the 1st defendant are certainly not his certificates.

“It is even more surprising that the 2nd defendant allowed the 1st defendant to use the WAEC and primary School certificates of an unknown third party to contest election in the first place. By presenting the WAEC certificate of one one Adokwe Solomon and Sule Adokwai in his Form CF001, the 1st defendant is not fit to continue to occupy the seat in the national Assembly,” the plaintiff said.

lalasticlala

Olaleye Aluko

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 34-year-old trader, Mallam Isiaka, for allegedly raping a nine-year-old boy in the Iju area of the state.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Isiaka was arrested and detained on Saturday by the Iju Police Division after the victim, Christopher, (pseudonym), complained about pains in the anus to his mother.

Christopher, a primary 1 pupil, who stayed with his family on Coker Alhaja Street, Old Akute Road, Iju, was said to have opened up to his mother that Isiaka allegedly raped him through the anus at different times when she sent him to buy items from the trader.

Our correspondent gathered that the boy was taken to the Mirabel Centre for tests which revealed that the boy had been slept with through the anus. Further tests to ascertain infections were carried out on him.

The mother thereafter reported the matter at the police station and Isiaka was arrested on Saturday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Christopher also told his mother that he could not open up on the incident because the suspect allegedly threatened that he (Christopher) would die if he reported anything to his parents.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro, a neighbour, who identified herself only as Olawumi, said the parents first became suspicious when Christopher was sent on an errand penultimate Monday and he came back with his pants soaked after staying longer than usual.

She said, “Isiaka sells items across the road in his shop. The boy’s parents used to send him on errands to the shops. He bought household items like sugar, milk and biscuits from Isiaka. We call him mallam.

“It was on Saturday that the boy got the courage to open up on the incident. The boy said mallam had been raping him in his shop anytime he ran errands for his parents.

“The boy said the mallam warned him that if he opened up to his mother, he was going to die. The mother calmed him that he was not going to die as the mallam threatened.

“About two Mondays ago, the boy came back from school and he was asked to go and buy items from the shop. He came back with his pants soaked. He later confessed that the mallam had raped him about eight times.”

Another neighbour, who gave his name as Chukwuka, said, “The mallam is not known with any wife though he has stayed long in this area. The baffling thing is how he did it eight times and nobody caught him for once in the shop.

“The boy went to the hospital on Sunday and the tests came out positive that he had been raped.

“The mallam is still denying it, but the boy insisted that it was him and the tests had also confirmed the assault.”

Christopher’s mother, who did not want her name in print, said the boy’s anus was wider than hers, and if not for her persistence, her son would not have opened up as he was afraid of the mallam.

She said, “We have gone to the hospital and they have given him some drugs. We were supposed to go to the hospital again.

“If you see my boy’s anus, it is no longer like a child’s. It is wider than my own. Ordinarily, he is an agile child, but he suddenly became cold recently. If not for the Spirit of God, I would not know since he is not a girl. I would never think anyone could be raping my boy.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed Isiaka’s arrest, adding that the case had been transferred to the Isokoko division for prosecution.

She said, “The suspect was arrested for allegedly defiling the nine-year-old boy.

“The case is now at the Isokoko division where we have the Family Support Unit which handles cases of domestic and sexual violence. Justice will be done in the matter.”

laleye Aluko

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a fake naval officer, Ahmed Abdullahi, in the Victoria Island area of the state.

PUNCH Metro learnt that 37-year-old Abdullahi from Adamawa State was apprehended while he was on a trip to Lekki, reportedly to raise money for his wedding billed for March 27.

Our correspondent gathered that when Abdullahi, who rode a motorcycle, was accosted by the police around the tollgate area on Wednesday, he allegedly showed them his fake naval identity card.

It was said that when the policemen were about to let him go, some people in the area reportedly hinted the police that Abdullahi was impersonating and he had been on the navy wanted list.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspect was thereafter arrested and two fake ID cards recovered from him.

Speaking with our correspondent, Abdullahi said he got the fake ID card to protect his motorcycle from traffic officials, including the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and policemen.

Abdullahi added that his bride and parents, who were in Adamawa State, had yet to know that he had been arrested by the police, pleading that he should be freed to go and plan his wedding.

He said, “I am not a robber, but it is true that I impersonated a naval officer. I started impersonating in December 2015. I am a motorcyclist, and I wanted to be able to move on roads without any restriction.

“I wanted to avoid trouble from area boys, LASTMA officials and policemen. I came to Lagos last year and I am preparing for my wedding in Adamawa. My bride, Aisha, and my parents do not know that I have been arrested. The police did not allow me to call them. It is only my neighbours in Obalende, where I stay, who know.”

The suspect added that he got the ID card from a friend in Abuja after paying him a sum of N1,000.

He said, “I believe everything that happens is from God. It was one of my friends who got the naval ID card for me. I collected it from him in Abuja last year after paying N1,000.

“On the day I was arrested, policemen just stopped me during a search around Lekki while I was on my motorcycle. I showed them my ID card. They were going to let me go when some people nearby raised the alarm that the navy had been looking for me for the past two weeks, and the police should arrest me.

“I want to go back to Adamawa so I can prepare for my wedding on March 27. If I survive this case, I will not come to Lagos State again. I will just settle down with my family in Adamawa and work on my father’s farm.”

The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded Abdullahi and other suspects, said the suspects, if found culpable, would be charged to court, adding that the command would continue to ensure security of lives and property in the state.

AmAlbert:
[s]What that what she said? Is that what your source is also telling you? Una go just dey exaggerate matter.. Try to confirm your source before making lewd statements[/s]

frankyychiji:
Stop the campaign and face your woes! You said you had a solution, stop the blame game and stabilize the international oil prices already !!

ApcSucks:
[s]Are u daft when the court said efcc can't prove or get evidence he tore his statement?? Try get sense na... all this propaganda are know by people who ain't gullible be like dem[/s]

frankyychiji:
[s]That's the media trash Buhary is feeding you with, he is taking advantage of your low IQ.[/s]

SeverusSnape:
You lie, When was she crying that the dull man will send her husband to prison?.

[s]GEJ is busy enjoying his retirement while some inconsequential butt-lickers are there killing themselves over him?... Very pathetic[/s].

SeverusSnape:
The illiterate dullard knows GEJ is UNTOUCHABLE.

NATIONAL Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, has told a Federal High Court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cannot prosecute him without interrogating former President Goodluck Jonathan regarding the source of the N400 million alleged to be part of arms purchase funds.

Tony Okafor, Awka

A 22-year-old man, Chigozie Ugwu, paraded by the Anambra State Police Command for stealing 52 women’s underwear has said he indulges in the act to satisfy his sexual urge.

Ogwu said he had no girlfriend and felt like he was having sexual intercourse any time he picks a woman’s pant, even as he pleaded that the police should release him.
The suspect claimed he was not aware that his action was an offence until security operatives arrested him.

Speaking exclusively with the Southern City News, Ugwu said, “I didn’t know that it was an offence to take women’s pants. I don’t have any girlfriend. So, each time I am with any woman’s underwear, I feel like I am making love.

“That’s why I go about picking and keeping women’s pants. I didn’t know it was an offence until the police arrested me. Please, tell them to release me. I didn’t intend to steal those things. I think, it’s a spiritual problem,” he said.

Ugwu was among the 15 suspected cult members and armed robbers paraded at the state’s command headquarters last week.
He was also said to be involved in burglary and stealing from a shop of items valued at N500,000 along Emma Nnaemeka Street in Awka, the state capital.

Parading the suspects, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ali Okechukwu, thanked the people of the state for availing the police of useful information that resulted in the successes recorded by the command.

Also paraded was one Christopher Onwe, a 24-year-old man, said to have been arrested at Nkpo in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
The PPRO said three of Onwe’s gang members were at large.

Okechukwu said, “They are members of Baggers Confraternity secret cult and four armed robbery gang terrorizing Nkpor/Obosi and Ogidi communities.

He identified items recovered from Onwe as four locally-made pistols, six live cartridges and two bags of Indian hemp.

The police spokesperson explained that at the same Nkpo, one Ugochukwu Nwagu ‘m’, 21 years and Ebuka Amaechi ‘m’, 18 years, were arrested while having their cult initiation meeting at a joint while other members took to their heels.

He said the suspects confessed to be members of Viking Confraternity, listing items recovered from them as two cut-to-size double-barrel gun and five cartridges.
Also paraded were four females, three of whom were secondary school students (names withheld).

ife01:
Find them here -https://www.naij.com/609118-meet-nigerias-5-youngest-ph-d-holders-oldest-26.html

omonnakoda:
Depends....there have been Professors under 40 years even in Medical sciences

The Peoples Democratic Party, which prides itself as the largest political party in Africa, may soon experience the mass defection of its leaders and their followers to other parties.

Prominent members of the party, including ex-ministers, are against the emergence of a former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman.
In recent times, some prominent members of the PDP had decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

On Saturday, one-time Campaign Director of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Senator Dalhatu Tafida, announced his resignation from the PDP.

Tafida, who until recently was Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, explained that he was leaving the party because it had lost direction.

The former PDP stalwart announced his decision in an interview he granted the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation, monitored in Abuja.

Tafida said, “Before now, it performed creditably but now the party is only admitting people who are not supposed be in it. The party (as currently constituted) does not respect people like me. Those at the helm of affairs do not take advice and members behave the way they like.”
He explained that though he had yet to decide on his next move, he had not joined any other political party.

Similarly, a Second Republic Governor of the old Borno State and the governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2011 election, Mohammed Goni, expressed his displeasure with Sherrif’s emergence as chairman.

“I am uncomfortable and very disappointed that a character like Sheriff could be appointed as the chairman of the PDP,” he said.

Goni, who said he did not know how the party picked Sheriff as chairman, lamented that his choice might force many PDP members in Borno to seek an alternative.

He stated, “I do not see why a character that made a mess of our state should be foisted on the entire party. I and others in Borno PDP may have no other choice but to seek an alternative elsewhere.

“Sheriff has a burden of Boko Haram to bear. He left a legacy of crisis in Borno that the state is still battling with it.”

Our correspondents gathered that a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Madueke, might also leave the party. A highly placed member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said Tafida’s exit was the beginning of what was likely to become an exodus from the party.

He said, “What Tafida said today is not different from what Ojo Maduekwe said during our last meeting. Madukwe expressed his reservations about how things are being run in the party, but his observation was rejected. Maduekwe may leave too.”

Some former ministers, who served under former President Goodluck’s administration, had on February 17 threatened to leave the PDP if Sheriff was not removed as chairman.

In an interview with The PUNCH, the spokesman for the former ministers and former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, said the party’s reconciliation moves had failed.

A former minister in the party, who confided in SUNDAY PUNCH, said he and his colleagues would decide on the way forward during the PDP Former Ministers’ Forum holding on Tuesday.

The ex-minister said the majority of members of the forum wanted Sheriff to leave the chairmanship position.

He said, “Although the governors have been trying to pacify us, they have not succeeded as many of us are insisting that Sheriff should not be the chairman. At the meeting, we will take a stand on the issue and our decision will be communicated to Nigerians. It is too early to say this is what we are going to arrive at when we have yet to meet.”

Also, a former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory and Secretary of the PDP Former Ministers’ Forum, Mrs. Jumoke Akinjide, said a position would be taken on Tuesday.

In an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, she said, “I will not jump the gun over the issue of the PDP chairmanship position. The forum will hold a meeting on Tuesday where the matter will be discussed and a position will be taken. Those who will be attending the meeting have the right to voice their opinions because they are elder statesmen in their own right.”

When asked if she would oppose or support Sheriff’s choice, the former minister said, “It’s not a personal issue. It’s about the good of the party. I am not speaking for myself or for the members. The meeting will address relevant issues on Tuesday.”
Members of the forum led by a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, on Friday met with the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, to express their displeasure with the appointment of Sheriff.

At the meeting in Akure were a former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, Ms. Jumoke Akinjide.
A source at the meeting told our correspondent on the telephone that they berated Mimiko for allowing himself to be swayed by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

The source said, “We told Mimiko that we were not happy and that we were disappointed in him for allowing Wike and Fayose to dictate to him. We also told him to step down if he could not stand firm. He appealed to us to be patient.”
In Borno State, mixed reactions greeted the appointment of Sheriff as the chairman of the PDP.

A member of the party, Bala Usman, said Sheriff was only living on past glory and had nothing to offer, especially in Borno.
He said, “We made the mistake of admitting him into the party during the last election and the rest is history. That outing was the worst in our history in Borno. I only hope the same fate does not befall us at the national level now.”

But another party member, Yusuf Ibrahim, said, “Sheriff’s appointment as chairman shows that he has something to offer. All l can wish for is that he performs well in this appointment by making our beloved PDP a success again.”

Jonathan’s congratulations
Meanwhile, sources in Sheriff’s camp said former President Jonathan had congratulated Sheriff. SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that Jonathan congratulated the new chairman on the telephone in the presence of members of the National Executive Council of the party.

A source at the meeting said, “Jonathan has congratulated Sheriff despite the protests by some members of the party. The former President told Sheriff to act like a father and unite the warring factions.

“Most of those who are accusing Sheriff are not members of the organ of the party. They do not belong to the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees or the NEC. They are mostly ex-ministers who are not involved in the running of the party but want to dictate to us.”

Fani-Kayode flays Sheriff again

However, a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has again criticised Sheriff for his claim that he is not responsible for the creation of Boko Haram.
Fani-Kayode’s remarks were contained in a text message sent to our correspondent on Sunday.
He wrote, “Expecting Ali Modu Sheriff to admit that he created Boko Haram is like expecting Jack the Ripper to admit that he was a rapist and a killer. This matter is beyond political parties or partisan politics. It is more about who and what we are as a people. There is no nation on earth apart from Nigeria where a man that is as questionable and dubious as Ali Modu Sheriff can be appointed as the national chairman of the leading opposition party.

“The blood of all those that have been butchered by Boko Haram over the last seven years is crying before God in heaven and calling for vengeance and restitution. Instead of us doing something to honour and avenge those that were killed, we are bringing in the man who nurtured, raised and used their killers as his personal thugs and for his own political gain when he was governor to come and lead us.

“This is not only unacceptable but it is also evil and if I am the only one left in this country that has the decency and courage to say so openly I will continue to do so.”

Eric Dumo

Not minding the stench oozing out from the nearby canal, Edwin Nwani, 31, devoured every bit of the meal before him like someone who had just been set loose from days of starvation. Around him were four other people – a middle-aged woman, two men and a police officer. They paid no attention to the filth and foul smell all around them as well, as they proceeded in ‘cleaning up’ the plates before them.
Every day – between 7:00am and 6:00pm, individuals like Nwani find their way to under the Obalende bridge to have a taste of sumptuous, affordable plate of ‘Eba’, a local delicacy, at Good Time canteen, one of several makeshift eating joints dotting the landscape. A plate of the popular delicacy starts from as low as N150 here and so for many low-income earners, especially those working or trading around the area, under this popular Lagos bridge offers plenty of succour for their lean pockets.

Apart from the highly patronised ‘Eba’ in this somewhat strange community, known meals such as ‘Amala’, ‘Tuwo’, ‘Semovita’ and pounded yam, also enjoy large following. There is also a section for lovers of ‘fast foods’ like noodles, bread, egg and tea. Whatever your taste is and depending on the weight of your pocket, you are sure to find solace in one of the local joints across the area.

But beyond its vast array of food outlets, under the Obalende bridge provides attractions of all kinds that constantly ensure a steady flow of human traffic in the area. A vibrant bus park, a thriving livestock market, a buzzing gambling arena livened by the presence of a variety of alcoholic mixtures and hard drugs – it is a bizarre combination that together provides a bustling atmosphere for the most part of the day across the area. There are also shacks set up at the tip of the canal that now serves as home to many who trade and engage in other forms of business activities here all through the day.

“I have been here for over two years and I can tell you that there are always activities going on under this bridge at every period of the day,” Morufu Ojo, a lotto agent told Saturday PUNCH. “There is hardly anything that you want that you can’t find here. I live under this bridge with my younger brother in one of these wooden structures. While I operate a lotto kiosk, he runs a sports betting business. This place means everything to us because it is from here that we get our daily living and also lay our heads when it is night,” he said.

During a visit to this part of Lagos earlier in the week, our correspondent observed all sorts of activities taking place simultaneously even as more people streamed in to meet one need or the other. Young men of different ages with fiery looks were seen in groups of threes and fours either smoking hemp or helping themselves to all sorts of liquid substances as the afternoon sun unleashed its venom across the area. It is a world hidden far away from the view of many, especially the hundreds that daily ride above it in exotic cars and rickety commercial vehicles.

Interestingly, such vibrant atmosphere occasioned by a vast array of activities is not peculiar to under the Obalende bridge, it is a scene now familiar with other parts of the city where bridges exist.
Across town in CMS, one of the busiest parts of Lagos for example, a thriving ‘under bridge community’ welcomes you as you make your way into the neighbourhood.

Though, there are no shack structures serving as residential quarters here like in Obalende, a handful of men and women together with their children have since made a home out of every available corner under the bridge. During a visit to the area earlier in the week, our correspondent observed at least three men and a woman sleeping at different corners while clutching on to their few belongings.
At another section under this popular Lagos bridge, bags, shoes, clothes and other fashion accessories were vigorously displayed while at a separate angle, auto mechanics had erected a workshop where they attended to faulty vehicles. A sizeable part of the area is also dedicated to the sale of food items, alcoholic drinks and cosmetics.

A trader, Mrs. Kemi Adejare, told
Saturday PUNCH that the high cost of shops in most parts of Lagos Island was responsible for the growing number of small sheds under the CMS bridge where petty traders like her display various wares and support their families from the proceeds.
“It was a friend who introduced me to this place last year. I used to have a shop at Idumota before but I lost it when I couldn’t keep up with the high rent anymore. Instead of sitting and doing nothing at home with two children to cater for, I managed to secure a space for a shed here where I have been selling little items.

“Many of the men and women who have sheds here were also pushed to this area as a result of the high cost of renting shops in town. Though, there is not much patronage, at least many of us are able to feed and support our families from the little that comes in at the end of the day. But the only problem is the regular harassment from touts and local council officials as us of money all the time,” she said.
While the under bridges of Obalende and CMS were discovered to be havens for cheap alcoholic drinks and illicit drugs like Indian hemp aside from the other buying and selling activities that go unabated for most parts of the day, in other similar and bizarre ‘communities’ scattered all across the metropolis, the sight is equally amazing – each provides a different kind of the blend that adds colour to the entire mix.

Under the Ojuelegba bridge for example, sights of books, newspapers, magazines and academic materials displayed on large tables and wooden shelves are a common feature. Customers journey from far and near to this area every day to search for and buy literatures hardly found in other parts of the city and country. It is a vibrant industry that has thrived for several years.
“For the past five years, this is where I have been selling books,” Francis Obiora told Saturday PUNCH. “There is no type of book that I don’t sell. Some of my customers come from as far as Benin in Edo State to patronise me because they know that there is hardly any type of book that they want that I would not help them get. The business is not a bad one just that sales is no longer what it used to be like,” he said.

Apart from book sellers like Obiora, under the Ojuelegba bridge is also home to commercial buses plying various routes across the metropolis and also several kiosks where lotto, sports betting and other gambling activities take place. There is also room for merchants and patrons of alcoholic drinks who are either stationed at a spot or hawk their wares from one point to another in this distinct ‘community’.
At Oshodi, one of the most notorious parts of the metropolis, life under the bridge is a combination of the sights in almost all other places. Apart from the regular scenes of eating, drinking and smoking synonymous with many of such places, there is a cluster of public toilets and bathrooms that take care of the sanitary needs of those who turn to it daily and in fact call it home – bands of young men and women who engage in petty activities around the area.

Though, the place looked calm on the afternoon our correspondent visited it, a security man guarding one of the banks around the neighbourhood revealed that it is an entirely different picture at night.
“This place is not in any way the same at night with what you see during day time. If you come here at night, you will see all sorts of activities going on. Small boys and girls would be smoking openly and even having sex without minding that anybody could see them. Even as a security man, I am always careful when I pass through under the bridge at night. The place could be very dangerous at that time of the day,” he said.

Apart from Obalende, CMS, Ojuelegba and Oshodi, under bridges in other parts of Lagos, especially within the metropolis, have always had strange and sometimes amazing sights connected to them. While in places like Ijora and Mile 2, it is home to a variety of businesses and bus parks, in Maryland for instance a robust and vibrant cane weaving and sculpture industry exists.

Town planning expert, Anayo Ogunbo, though, appreciates these bizarre sights from the under bridges of Lagos, equates this phenomenon to the shortage of land within the city and also the high cost of renting shops.
According to him, the twin factors of high rent and shortage of land have contributed to pushing many people to either live or trade under the bridges these days.
“If you look at Lagos as it is now, there is hardly any available land within the city again except you are going to buy from an existing owner and that would cost you several millions, if not billions. How many people can afford that?

“Also, renting a shop or small space to do business in Lagos these days is very expensive, so for those who cannot afford this, part of the alternatives is to settle for a portion under some of these bridges where they can engage in little buying and selling activities to sustain their families.
“I think part of the ways we can solve this problem is for government to maximise every available space for the benefit of the masses. For example, government should convert some of these abandoned structures into affordable lock up stalls. That way, many of the guys under these bridges can get a shop for themselves and quit those places,” he said.

During the administration of former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, a massive clear out operation was conducted across under most bridges in the city. Occupants of such places were evicted while the areas got improved facelifts.
However, hustling and bustling has since resumed in many of these places today, with dozens of individuals and families in fact building a home and thriving community under these bridges. Indeed the sight under Lagos’ bridges could be described in three simple words: good, bad and ugly.

adamsflick:
shey you know that that 2k has saved some lady from rape sha?

sholly4444:
lolzzzzz, mumu men still plenty outside.. dos kind of mean can't give der wife or girlfriend way go satisfy dem all nite dat kind money o