GROUP RAISES ALARM OVER THE ACTIVITIES OF HOODLUMS ON MILE 2 BRIDGE
*** Calls for Urgent Sanitization
By Mcanthony Onuoha
National Compliance Joint Taskforce of Licensed Clearing Agents- (NCJTFLCA) has expressed concern over the daily occupation of Mile 2 Bridge by hoodlums.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) Western Zone,
Comrade Ekene Collins Dike, raised the alarm during an interactive session with the Prestige Magazine Online.
Dike said that the daily assembly of unscrupulous elements who pose serious security threat should be urgently and permanently addressed by the Lagos State Government.
According to Dike, “we urge the Nigeria Police Force, NDLEA, and relevant authorities to take immediate action to address the security and safety concerns at Mile 2 Bridge. This area has become a hub for criminal activities as street urchins have taken over the spot, peddling hard drugs, freely smoking marijuana and indulging in various criminal activities, as pickpockets operate with impunity.”
“We are not only talking about the invasion of the bridge by hoodlums, we are also concerned about the fire hazard posed by women who roast corn, yam, plantain and potatoes on open charcoal fire, which poses a significant risk to road users, as it is an important route for tankers carrying petroleum products.
” Furthermore, potentially harmful substances are sold to drivers and commercial motorcyclists who occupy the walkways, causing serious obstruction to both human and vehicular movements. The obviously uninformed commercial motorcycle riders are having a field day on the bridge, patronising illicit drug dealers and hard drink vendors, making the corridor vulnerable to serious accidents.
“We request that the authorities
clear the area by clinically ridding the bridge of unauthorized vendors and rooting out criminal elements, increase police presence and surveillance to
forestall threatening activities of these hoodlums.
Government’s intervention is crucial to prevent potential disaster,” Dike stated.
Mile2 is a major transport hub that connects different parts of the city, a very important point for commuters. Overtime, road users try as much as possible to avoid getting to Mile 2 at late hours because of the ominous activities of unscrupulous elements whose major mission is to dispossess people of their property, or cause bodily harm. They attack occupants of vehicles openly, and where there is resistance, they break either their side mirrors or cause a great damage to their vehicles. Some snatch phones and handbags through car windows and go scot free.