The Ogun State Government has begun removing beggars and illegal traders from the pedestrian bridges at Ibafo and Mowe along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as part of efforts to improve public safety and restore order.
Officials of the state's environmental marshals carried out the enforcement exercise on Monday, clearing traders and beggars from the bridges and warning them against returning.
The operation follows earlier concerns over the increasing occupation of the pedestrian bridges by traders, a situation that obstructed movement and forced many commuters to either navigate crowded walkways or cross the busy expressway at risk.
A commander of the enforcement team, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the agency, said the exercise was conducted on the directive of the Ogun State Ministry of Environment.
According to him, officers have been deployed to ensure that trading and begging no longer take place on the bridges.
He said the enforcement would be sustained daily, adding that personnel had been assigned to monitor both the Ibafo and Mowe pedestrian bridges to prevent a return of the illegal activities.
Residents said the operation had already improved access to the bridges. An Ibafo resident, Aremu, noted that pedestrians were able to use the bridge freely after traders were removed.
She explained that traders previously occupied large sections of the bridge, displaying items such as jewellery, underwear, fruits and other goods, making movement difficult while attracting commuters because of the convenience.
Although she acknowledged that the trading activities obstructed free movement, Aremu attributed the situation to the country's economic challenges, saying many of the traders relied on the bridge to earn a living due to the lack of affordable trading spaces.
A visit to the affected locations showed that both pedestrian bridges were largely free of traders and makeshift stalls, allowing commuters to move without obstruction.
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