The Lagos State Government has arrested individuals allegedly extorting money from pedestrians using the closed Oshodi pedestrian bridge.
The state had shut down the bridge in January over safety concerns, leading to congestion on an alternative pedestrian bridge.
Viral photos and videos recently showed heavy overcrowding on the alternative route, prompting assurances from the government that measures were being taken to ease movement.
The state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi confirmed the arrests on Tuesday in a post on X, warning that further action would be taken against anyone found engaging in extortion.
He said: ‘Our attention has been drawn to the fact that miscreants have been extorting money from pedestrians on the Oshodi Bridge, which was closed by the authorities a few months ago because of structural issues.
‘These individuals were arrested this morning, and we will continue to make further arrests if such activities persist.
‘The other bridge is available for usage whilst the necessary repairs on the closed bridge is ongoing’.
It was reported that Lagos assured commuters that efforts are underway to alleviate the overcrowding on the bridge caused by the closure of the main pedestrian bridge.
