Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has condemned the alleged vandalism of the bridge linking Alakija and FESTAC in Lagos State.
The Islamic cleric described the removal of iron rods from its concrete pillars by scavengers as “pure wickedness.”
Gumi made the remark in a Facebook post on Saturday while reacting to a video showing suspected scavengers allegedly breaking the concrete pillars supporting the bridge to remove embedded iron rods.
“This is not poverty but pure wickedness. And it’s all over the nation having animals in human skin,” Gumi wrote.
In the video circulating on social media, police officers were seen clearing shanties erected beneath the bridge by suspected scavengers.
An unidentified man speaking in the video alleged that several of the bridge’s concrete pillars had been damaged after the reinforcing iron rods were removed.
He called on relevant authorities to urgently intervene to prevent further damage to the bridge.
“These scavengers have started removing the iron rods from the pillars supporting the bridge. This is what they have been doing to all the pillars holding the bridge,” he said.
According to him, the scavengers broke the concrete structures to gain access to the iron rods embedded in the pillars.
He expressed concern that continued vandalism could compromise the integrity of the bridge and potentially lead to its collapse.
The bridge, according to the man, was constructed by the Federal Housing Authority about five years ago.
He urged authorities to take immediate action to protect the infrastructure from further vandalism.
‘Pure wickedness’ — Sheikh Gumi reacts to scavengers stripping Lagos bridge pillars of iron rods