The Lagos State Government spoke on the repair of a dangerous open manhole along the Ikeja axis leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, less than 24 hours after public outcry amplified by a viral video.
Speaking at the site on Sunday, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Infrastructure, Olufemi Daramola, said the government mobilised its agencies overnight to address the hazard.
“First, I want to thank the good Samaritan who raised the alarm. Immediately it was brought up again, we swung into action yesterday night. The Public Works Corporation, the drainage team, and the General Manager have all been here, and as you can see, work is in progress,” he said.
Mr Daramola, who was accompanied by the General Manager of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC), Tokunbo Ajanaku, and the Director of Drainage, Mahmood Adegbite, warned against vandalism and abuse of road infrastructure.
“We have such challenges all over, and we are rising to the occasion. But it’s important to stress that road abuse is a grave offence. We have seen similar vandalisation at the Ogudu bridge and now at the Ogudu link bridge. We will scale up our response, but citizens must also ‘see something, say something’,” he added.
The repair followed civic action by broadcast journalist Deji Badmus who on Saturday erected a billboard inside the open manhole to draw the governor’s attention.
In a viral video, Mr Badmus described the hazard as deadly and said he had narrowly escaped an accident at the site.
“That manhole has been open for about three months. I almost had an accident here, and just days ago, there was a terrible crash. Several cars have already run into it. It’s shocking that this was left like this on a road that connects both the international and local airports,” he said.
On Sunday, Mr Badmus posted an update showing officials covering the manhole.
“Less than 24 hours after we put out that sign, the Lagos State Government has deployed its officials to cover the manhole. This is the kind of immediate response we expect. But I hope they will also fix the many other open manholes across the city,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES published a report highlighting Mr Badmus’ action and the risks the open manhole posed to motorists.
The incident has renewed focus on the theft of manhole covers across Lagos. In January, the state House of Assembly urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to enforce laws against scavengers stealing covers, describing the practice as a major threat to public safety.
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Lawmakers also called for stricter enforcement and whistle-blowing mechanisms.
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has since introduced treated wooden covers at Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) laybys to deter theft, noting that the wooden alternatives have no scrap value.
Despite these measures, vandalism of public infrastructure remains widespread in Lagos and across Nigeria, affecting roads, bridges, pipelines, power installations, and telecoms facilities.
