The presence of manholes on many roads in Lagos State has continued to be a source of concern to residents in the state. Many motorists complained of the resultant traffic congestions, likely death and maiming of those who might fall into the manholes.
PUNCH METRO had on December 21, 2010, published the danger the killer manholes posed to motorists, especially those that ply Agege end of old Lagos-Abeokuta Road. Although the government in Lagos has not responded to the cries of the residents, it was discovered that killer manholes were not limited to the area alone.
PUNCH METRO received numerous calls from people who narrated their experiences with the killer manholes. One of them was a lady, who for security purpose, identified herself simply as Funsho.
The victim said she was lucky that she did not get drowned when she fell into one of them at Fadeyi Bus Stop end of the Ikorodu Road. She added that her friend lost one of her hands when she fell into one of the manholes.
She told PUNCH METRO that she fell into the manhole on a day she wanted to board a Bus Rapid Transit vehicle. She added that as a result of the fall, she was hospitalised.
Funsho said, “I actually went to the church from work on December 13, 2010. The church service closed at about 6pm. I was trying to beat the traffic so I wanted to board the Bus Rapid Transit vehicle. I bought the ticket but there was a long queue. I was just walking to join the queue when I suddenly fell into one of the manholes. I was inside the manhole and it was very dark inside; I was confused. At a stage, I became unconscious but when I regained little consciousness, I noticed people pointing their handsets‘ torches down in the manhole. They were calling to know whether I was alive. Those calling were people in the queue who saw me when I fell inside the manhole.
“They managed to pull me out of the manhole, but I had become weak. People tried to give me first aid. One of them used his handkerchief to wipe the blood that was coming out of my body. A woman bought some sachets of water and poured them on me. They later put me in the BRT, but I was so tired that I could not even support myself in it. I was having severe pain, as I sustained cuts on my legs and head and had bruises on my thighs. I was taken to Reddington Hospital at Ikeja, where they stitched my legs and gave me injections. I went there the following day for X-ray.
“My husband told me that when he came to the hospital to see me, somebody told him that he should do thanksgiving for my escape. The man had told him that if it was during rainy season that I could have been drowned. The person said that someone around his area had similarly fallen and got drowned during the rainy season.
“When they did the X-ray on my hand, they said there was a crack in the bone. That is why I am still wearing this bandage so that when I am walking, the hand will not be swinging.”
She appealed to the government to close the manholes as they constitute clear dangers to residents and other road users.
Another victim, Mr. Charles Edet, said he would have been crushed by a vehicle that was passing when he suddenly fell into one of the manholes around Onipanu on Ikorodu Road. He called on the government to urgently close the manholes to prevent loss of lives and maiming of road users and residents.
Edet said, “It happened around November. I was going to work early that morning. There was no street light and as I wanted to cross the road, I fell into the manhole. One lorry was just coming; it was God‘s intervention that the lorry did not run over me as I could not run away. The driver just managed to swerve to the other side. I sustained serious injuries. The marks are still there till today. There are many of these manholes in this area and they are exposing people to a lot of dangers. Government should help us.”
Some of the residents told PUNCHMETRO that the manholes were opened when some telecommunications companies laid underground cables along the road. They appealed to the government to cover the manholes to reduce traffic congestions. They added that people of questionable characters could cash in on the manholes to attack road users and residents because of resultant traffic jam.
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