No fewer than 40 street hawkers escaped death by whiskers on Tuesday night in Ikire when an articulated truck conveying earth moving equipment pulled down the pedestrian bridge located in Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State.
The pedestrian bridge which was said to have been constructed in 2002 at the Ikire junction of Ibadan-Ife Expressway was aimed at checkmating the incessant death of people and motorcyclists crossing the dual carriageway.
But the articulated truck belonging to a construction firm, carrying a big excavator got stuck under the bridge and in the process of trying to continue its movement, the pedestrian bridge collapsed and caved in on the truck.
Eyewitnesses informed Nigerian Tribune that most of the street hawkers who usually sell fried plantain chips, popularly known as ‘dodo Ikire’ and bread under the bridge were holding a peace meeting not too far from the bridge when it collapsed.
Speaking on the incident, the Secretary of Akire-in-Council, Chief Soji Akinwale said, “The saving grace for the traders under that bridge on Wednesday was the crisis between the Yoruba and Igbo traders which was being settled in meeting not too far from the spot of the accident.”
According to him, “Some leaders of the National Union of Roads and Transport Workers (NURTW) and the people were holding a peace meeting with the traders when the truck pulled down the pedestrian bridge. If they were under the bridge as usual, selling their wares, the casualties would have been terrible. We thank God no life was lost to the incident.”
Narrating how the incident occurred, one of the eyewitnesses, identified as Oladipupo Tajudeen, an indigene of Ikire said, “The trailer that pulled down the bridge was coming from Ibadan end and carrying an earthmoving equipment. There are about three speed bumps before and under the bridge. When the trailed got under the bridge and climbed the bump, it hooked the concrete slab used to construct the bridge.
“The driver of the trailer tried to make a way out, but his efforts were fruitless. The bridge came down immediately. At that time, many people ran very far away from the area to avoid being caught up in the accident or collapse of the bridge,” he stated.
Oladipupo subsequently urged the government to order the construction firm, whose truck pulled down the bridge to reconstruct it so that it can be put use again.
However, further investigation revealed that the pedestrian bridge had not been put to optimal use as many people prefer to cross the expressway abandoning the bridge to destitute and mentally challenged individuals who have turned the bridge to their sleeping abode.
As of the time of filing this report, the construction company that owns the truck had brought in heavy equipment to evacuate the wreckage of the collapsed bridge.
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