IBADAN DROWNING: ANGRY YOUTHS ATTACK CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IN APETE, OYO STATE

Angry youths in the Apete area of Ibadan, Ido Local Government Area, Oyo State, on Saturday evening and Sunday morning attacked the work station of the contractor handling the construction of the Ijokodo-Apete Road and the bridge linking the two communities.

The youth destroyed equipment and vandalized property at the station.

They were protesting the death of about 10 persons who allegedly drowned on Saturday after a makeshift bridge across a river collapsed as a result of heavy rain.

Our correspondent who visited the two communities on Sunday observed that caterpillars, office equipment and other property belonging to the company were destroyed by the angry youths, who broke into the work station and offices. Thousands of residents were also seen at the Apete end of the river bank, waiting for rescue operation to commence while some of them were throwing stones and other objects at a combine team of security officials deployed in the Ijokodo end of the road to maintain order.

One of the security men employed by the construction company, Bassey Etum, said he had to run for his life along with five other colleagues when some youths came on Saturday night.

He said, “After the river had overflown its banks, residents at the community said people drowned because of the bridge that collapsed. The vented their anger on our company and destroyed our equipment.

“They stole computers and other office equipment. There were six security officials here when they came. They wanted to lynch us, so we ran into a nearby forest. When we returned around 11pm, nothing was left untouched.”

An eyewitness, Tunde Emiola, said that the youth were angered by the slow pace of the construction and increasing number of deaths because of the dilapidated state of the bridge.

“The rain started in the afternoon but by 6.30pm the bridge was submerged and was standing precariously. I was among the crowd at the Apete end of the river bank. We saw people trying to make use of the bridge and warned them, but they were desperate to reach home before it was too dark. Suddenly, the wooden pillars holding the bridge collapsed and people fell into the river. The current was too much, so there was little hope for survival. We rescued two people, but more than 10 others drowned immediately. I was there and saw it all till very late. The youth were really angry at the number of deaths.”

Emiola said the river was formed by many other rivers like Ogun, Eleyele, among others, adding that the collapsed bridge was the only link between Ijokodo community and Apete, Ajibode, Arula, Awotan, Olomo and other communities in the area.

He said the original bridge was swept away by a heavy rain four years ago and effort to replace it by the Oyo State Government was still going on.

Chairman of Ido Local Government, Prof. Joseph Olowofela, said the development was unfortunate, adding that a day before the disaster, the council executives had decided to construct a stronger pedestrian bridge in place of the one that collapsed on Saturday.

He said, “I was here on Friday with the contractor that was to erect the bridge. But we realised that the volume of the water was too much so we decided to wait. Unfortunately, heavier rain fell on Saturday which swept away the existing one. We are hearing lots of stories about the incident, but we have yet to ascertain how many people were actually involved.

“We have a large number of people here so we will go ahead and construct the bridge. But it is a palliative measure because the state government is already working on a standard bridge that will be completed before the end of this year.”

Source; Punch