Protecting the Second Niger Bridge

The incessant vandalism of the Second Niger Bridge by criminals is condemnable. We call on the government to take steps to ensure that the infrastructure is protected and those tampering with its parts should be apprehended and dealt with. The latest assault on the facility was exposed through a video that circulated on social media showing how some rail fittings and expansion joints installed on the bridge were uprooted by vandals. The viral video captured the attack on the 1.6 kilometre bridge and removal of its expansion joints, leaving gaping holes.

This is the second time vital parts of the bridge would be vandalised barely one year after its completion. In July 2023, two months after its inauguration, thieves vandalised the median walkway in the Onitsha, Anambra State, section of the facility, stealing the metal plate in the middle of the walkway and expansion joint in the process. The expansion joint walkway on axis 330 of the bridge was stolen by the vandals.

The same situation arose when hoodlums vandalised railings and expansion joints used to absorb the thermal expansions of the bridge, forcing concerned Nigerians to condemn the attack on the bridge.

The Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in condemning the action, described it as an act of sabotage, which must be condemned by everyone.

“We must condemn these acts of sabotage and criminality in their totality. Now that this critical issue has, again, been exposed, I urge the government and security agencies to do a follow-up by investigating deeply and bringing to book the perpetrators of such crimes,” he stated.

It is good that the federal government has fixed the damaged portions of the bridge. A release by the Federal Ministry of Works, which announced the repair, added that tough and decisive measures were being adopted to curb further incidents of vandalism and theft of facilities on the bridge and other public infrastructure nationwide.

The statement added that the Federal Ministry of Works was working with the police and other security agencies to tighten security and stop vandalism on the bridge and save the superstructure from further damage.

We condemn the attack on the bridge and destruction of other public projects. Let the government ensure that the Second Niger Bridge is adequately protected. The facility should be well lit with 24-hour security patrol. Those involved in stealing its assets should be arrested and tried.

The money spent in constructing the project was humongous. It is estimated to have cost over N336 billion. The long bridge was built to decongest traffic on the existing old Niger Bridge, boost economic activities and connect the South-East with the rest of the country. Before its completion, the traffic situation at the Asaba-Onitsha axis of the old Niger Bridge, especially at Yuletide, used to be chaotic.

The edifice, which runs across River Niger, linking Asaba, the Delta State capital, in the South-South, with the commercial city of Onitsha in the South-East, was inaugurated on May 23, 2023, by former President Muhammadu Buhari. It was opened for public use, later.

It is scandalous that the bridge could be vandalized twice within one year of being put to use. That is unacceptable and should not be handled with levity. There is no justification for tampering with the bridge. Those behind the dastardly acts and their collaborators must be unmasked. Apart from the vandals endangering the lives of fellow citizens and others making use of the bridge, they portray the country in bad light before others. The criminals must be stopped on their tracks.

There is need for security surveillance around the facility. The magnificent project was constructed with dedicated fund from the Sovereign Wealth Fund. Such investment must be protected.

Security of the legacy projects should be of concern to all. We call on the citizens and other users of the project to report any suspicious activities around it to security agencies. The security agency charged with securing the bridge should be up and doing.

 The Second Niger Bridge is not the only infrastructure being destroyed or stolen. Other national legacy projects are equally being tampered with. Recently, officials of the Lagos State Neighbourhood and Security Corps (LNSC) apprehended a 46-year-old suspect for allegedly vandalising safety handrailings and streetlights on Third Mainland Bridge. The suspect was removing the newly fixed handrailings and solar streetlights on the bridge. Let security agencies protect the Second Niger Bridge and others across the country.