Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab has disclosed that thugs who were captured on camera extorting money from pedestrians to cross a walkway unaffected by flood waters have been arrested.
Wahab made this known in an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, July 3 as he fielded questions about the flood that affected several parts of Lagos.
"The thugs that were arrested were the ones at the Trade Fair. They stopped people from using the pedestrian bridge and collected 100 naira per person. After we got the information, sent an investigative team who caught them right on their track," he said.
He continued: "This pedestrian bridge was built by the state government at Trade Fair and these five guys stood at the tail of the bridge and asked Lagosians to pay 100 naira to use the bridge to cross to the other side, I mean. this is not fair."
Recall social media got into a frenzy when some unidentified men in a now-viral video demanded cash from pedestrians before allowing them to use a walkway at Trade Fair - Under Bridge, a suburb of Lagos.
In the video, two of the men were seen requesting money from pedestrians in exchange for access to a route unaffected by flood waters.
According to the commentary, the men were charging N100 per pedestrian to use the passage.
Heavy rainfall caused flooding in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, on the morning of Wednesday, July 3.
This made it challenging for commuters to travel to and from their destinations.
Videos on social media show that the Iyana-Oworo and Olopo Meji areas leading to the Third Mainland Bridge were completely flooded, resulting in severe traffic congestion extending to Alapere.
Additionally, the Iyana-Oworo-Olopomeji area heading to the Third Mainland Bridge was heavily flooded, causing significant traffic congestion that extended to Alapere.
The downpour caused a tree to fall near Airport U-turn in Oshodi. Personnel from the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) were present to clear the fallen tree from the road, ensuring traffic flow and public safety.