Homeless Wahala Don Turn Oshodi Under Bridge To New Rough Community

As night dey fall for Lagos and traders dey lock up shop, Oshodi dey change face. Under di belly of di bridge, where bus dey roar pass on top, another life dey grow, na here plenty people wey no get home don turn to shelter. Cardboard dey serve as mattress, dirty mosquito net hang for iron rod, and heap of clothes don turn pillow. Adebayo Samuel, one mechanic wey landlord chase commot because of high rent, talk say, “Na here I dey sleep every night. At least nobody fit pursue me.” Di whole area don turn to rough settlement, bus stops and walkways now dey full with broken foam, nylon bag, and dirt. Commuters dey complain say dem no fit pass again. “Sometimes you go see pikin sleep for bare floor,” talk one food seller, Mama Adijat Lawal. “E dey pain me, but e also dey fear people, because no be everybody here pure.” But inside all di suffer, na still strong will and survival full ground. Some dey hustle small jobs, wash bus, sell pure water, or pick plastic. Hauwa, one mama of two, dey under one dim streetlight with her baby for chest. “No be all of us be thief. We just need where to stay,” she talk. Emmanuel Joseph, wey dey sell car sticker, talk say him dey make like N1,500 daily, but e still dey pray for better work. One teenage girl, Grace Onu, wey run comot from abusive home, talk say di bridge dey safer pass where she come from. “At least nobody dey beat me here.” Still, some commuters dey fear say petty thiefs dey hide among di homeless. “Na why once police show, everybody dey suffer,” commercial okada man, Kabiru Musa, yarn. Police sef confirm say dem dey patrol steady but talk say criminals dey mix with innocent ones, and e dey hard to separate dem.

While government dey talk say dem get welfare homes and dey try support with di little space wey remain, dem admit say di centres don full and money no plenty. For now, as rain dey beat dem under Oshodi bridge, people dey hold on to wetin dem fit.  When dem reach out to Mr Abiodun Dina, senior officer for Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, e explain say government dey try, but e hard as plenty people dey enter Lagos every hour, about 86 people every 60 minutes, and many no get house or support. Dina talk say dem dey always respond when dem see destitute people, street pikin or abandoned minors gather, and dem dey carry dem go welfare centres. But wahala dey: Lagos get only 15 centres for vulnerable people like street boys, drug users, old people and people wey no fit walk well. Places like Correctional Centre for Boys for Oregun and Girls for Idi-Araba don full, and funding no dey enough. E still talk say di ministry dey work with private homes and NGOs to help manage di load. When space show, dem dey respond fast to rescue calls. But as rain dey beat Oshodi under bridge every night, di cracks for Lagos housing and social support system dey show clear. Hundreds dey squeeze under concrete slab with no hope of comfort or dignity, survival na di only thing wey matter for dem now.