From Punch
Barely two days after a train crushed a trader to death in the Oshodi area of Lagos State, traders in the Agege train corridor have resumed trading activities on the train track.
On Sunday, it was reported that a 50-year-old man named Emmanuel was crushed to death by a train. The tragedy occurred.
It was reported that the incident took place in Oshodi, close to The Arena Shopping Mall.
The sister of the deceased, whose name is currently unknown, reported to the police that she had received a call on the specified date at approximately nine in the morning stating that her older brother had been hit by a moving train and died.
In a statement, the state’s police public relations officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that the incident was reported to the command’s Mosafejo Division at approximately 1:33 p.m. The police immediately dispatched a team of detectives to the scene.
On Monday, while keeping an eye on activities near the Agege corridor, our correspondent noticed that some traders had started operating along the track again.
While some beggars were seated on the train tracks, our correspondent saw that some clothing vendors and shoemakers were setting up shop on the tracks.
Little kids who appeared to be child beggars were also spotted wandering around the train track at the same time as this.
A trader who consented to speak on the condition of anonymity stated that the traders were forced to turn to the train tracks as a backup due to the deteriorating economic conditions.
The trader emphasized that they were compelled to trade on the railroad tracks due to the exorbitant expense of leasing a store in the city center.
The trader said, “We are not pleased to be trading on the train track because it is risky but what can we do when the economy is not favourable? I have a family to feed but the economy is not smiling. The cost of renting a shop in a place that can boost sales is high and not affordable. So, what can we do?”
Abdulraheem Gbadeyan, the Lagos Taskforce spokesperson, revealed that despite the agency’s desperate attempts to dissuade the traders, they had persisted.
He made it clear that more would be done to apprehend and punish those who had persisted.
“Last week, we were at Mile 2 and we dislodged some of the traders who were trading on the track. The problem is that these traders have remained defiant despite repeated warnings and arrests.
“We will intensify our efforts in arresting the defiant ones who had refused to heed warnings. The train tracks are not places to ply your trade,” Gbadeyan said.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
