Residents Dey Cry Out As Vandals Don Destroy Lagos Water Corporation Infrastructure.

Residents for one Lagos community don dey cry say some critical infrastructure wey belong to Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) don dey vandalized. Dem accuse one middle aged man as di person wey behind di destruction. Di gbege happen for No. 9, Ago‑Owu Street, off Kayode Street, Onipanu, Lagos State. Di suspect reportedly tear down di bricks and comot di iron lid wey cover one major pipeline interjection station along railway axis wey connect Ijora Olopa to Iju Waterworks. One Mr. Niyi Kolawole, wey be complainant and administrator of di family wey own di property wey di station dey, talk say di suspect don already tell some residents back in October 2024 say he plan to remove di heavy iron lid of di over‑100‑year‑old interjection point of di LSWC pipeline for di area. Few days afta, people observe say dem don break di bricks and comot di heavy iron lid wey cover di manhole. Dis kasala happen around October 2024. As Niyi Kolawole see say di suspect don truly carry out wetin im talk by removing di iron lid e raise alarm because of di danger wey di act fit cause to people and di environment. Because of that, Kolawole sharply inform Lagos State Water Corporation for January 2025. Before that, for December 13, 2024, Kolawole don already write petition go give di Deputy Commissioner of Police for State CID, Panti, Yaba. For di letter, he explain di whole vandalism matter and beg make dem investigate and hold di suspect responsible. Niyi Kolawole still talk say e write letter go give Lagos State Governor about di matter. Later, he see say dem minute di letter go give Lagos State Water Corporation make dem act on am but up till now, nothing don happen. E still talk say di suspect wey dem accuse, police invite am and e reportedly confess say na im do the thing and say e sell di iron cover for ₦133,000. But later, di same suspect yarn say e bribe di police officers in charge with ₦350,000 so that di case go die for there. Kolawole come allege say when e waka go State CID for Panti to follow up, some officers begin pressure am make e drop di matter.

One even threaten say dem go lock am up if e show face again. Even though Kolawole don send petitions go give Lagos State Government, di DCP for Panti, and even di MD of Lagos State Water Corporation and agents don even visit di scene to check things up till now, nobody don take any action to fix di matter. Kolawole still talk say, instead make government praise am as better citizen wey report damage to government property and serious danger to human life, na threat im and im family dey get from di suspect and im people. He talk say dia life dey for serious danger now. As things still dey go like dis, Kolawole beg Lagos State Government make dem quickly cover that manhole again with strong lid like di old one, before rain cause flood or small pikin or person fall inside by mistake. He say di suspect still dey waka free and di whole community dey at risk if nothing is done. When our reporter call am, di accused person, Mayowa Alonge, talk say na true say he remove di manhole lid wey belong to Lagos State Water Corporation. He talk say dem do am during renovation of dia grandfather house wey dem dey stay for No. 9, Ago-Owu Street, off Kayode Street, Onipanu. According to am, di renovation no be only im do am, he say he and Debo Kolawole (wey be cousin to Niyi Kolawole) run di project together. He also explain say di manhole dey for di setback area between dia house and di railway line, for one place wey dem dey call di railway axis interjection station, wey connect from Ijora Olopa go Iju Water Works for Lagos. Alonge still talk say na true Niyi carry petition go State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for Musiliu Smith Street, Panti-Yaba, Lagos, accuse am say he carry the manhole lid wey belong to Lagos State Water Corporation go sell for scrap metal dealers. But Alonge deny di accusation say he sell di manhole lid or say he brag say he bribe police. Na im words be dis: I never sell di Water Corporation manhole lid and I no ever talk say I bribe police. He come explain say, Na di metal scraps wey we remove during di house renovation I sell for ₦133,000, no be di manhole lid. Alonge talk say, Police don order me make I go replace di lid. But I never fit do am because I no get work now wey go help me gather money take do am. I dey hopeful say I go fit replace am very soon.