By Efe Onodjae

There was heavy gridlock on the Third Mainland Bridge, yesterday morning, as protesting residents of Oworonshoki, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos, blocked the inward lane of the bridge over the demolition of houses in the area by the state government.

The demonstration, according to our correspondent who was caught in the traffic, began at dawn and left thousands of commuters stranded, forcing motorists to divert to alternative routes into the mainland.

Residents, seen in large numbers, accused the state government of demolishing their houses without adequate notice or compensation, alleging that many families had been rendered homeless.

The demolition exercise, which commenced on Saturday, was carried out by a combined enforcement team of the state government, targeting what officials described as illegal structures along the Lekki and Iyana Oworonshoki coastal lines.

During the protest, demonstrators confronted security operatives, who arrived at the scene, insisting they would not vacate the bridge until demolition equipment were withdrawn from Oworonshoki.

During the demonstration, the protesters confronted Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, insisting they would not disperse until demolition equipment was withdrawn from Oworonshoki.

Security operatives were later deployed to restore order and clear the road.

In its reaction, the Lagos State Police Command, in a statement by Babasayi Oluseyi, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed that normalcy had since been restored on the bridge.

According to the statement, CP Jimoh upon receiving reports of the protest, personally led detachments of the Mobile Police Force and tactical units to the scene to engage the demonstrators, ensure de-escalation, and safeguard lives and property.

The statement noted that while the commissioner appealed to the protesters to vacate the bridge, they remained adamant, worsening the plight of commuters, including reports of sick persons trapped in traffic who required urgent medical attention.

“In the interest of public safety and to avert further breakdown of law and order, the Commissioner of Police directed the use of minimal force to disperse the crowd. Barricades erected by the protesters were dismantled, traffic obstructions were cleared, and the free flow of vehicles was restored without any loss of life,” the statement said.
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