Many of the streetlights in Lafia have since stopped functioning at night. Lafia, capital of Nasarawa State, has been in darkness for several years due to the obsolete streetlights. Our correspondent, who went round the metropolis, observed how the situation has left residents at the mercy of gangsters who torment them at night.
“Barka da zuwa”, this means you are welcome, draws the attention of any visitor coming into the city gate of Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State. Some few minutes into the city, a visitor is warmly greeted by the natural breeze from a stream – few meters away from the gates of Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic, Lafia.
However, entry into the state capital at night is another experience altogether. Aside not noticing the welcome sign “Barka da zuwa” at the entry point, the cool breeze the town offers tends to vanish under the darkness that leads you in. The thick shade of darkness at this period of the day pave way for robbers and car snatchers to operate smoothly without fear of being caught by security operatives.
Consequently, the number of accidents and fatalities of all kinds are on the increase at night due to the absence of functional streetlights.
Our correspondent, who went round the city, observed that from “Barka da zuwa” to Lafia township stadium, a journey of about ten kilometers, there are no fewer than three tertiary institutions and all of them are in darkness every night, denying them the magnificence associated with such institutions.
The institutions are College of Agriculture, Science and Technology; Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic Lafia and the National Open University of Nigeria, Lafia study centre. Our correspondent observed no fewer than 1,000 vandalized and non-functional streetlights from the city gate to the NOUN campus.
From the state-owned stadium junction inward Makurdi Road and to the post office area of Lafia metropolis, only the bare poles reminded the world that streetlights once lit up the area.
How it all began
Jos/Makurdi Road is perhaps the busiest area of Lafia, which hosts scores of businesses, stores and offices. The axis houses most commercial banks in the town. However, these areas are concealed in darkness every night so inhabitants and motorists hurry home to escape the anger of kidnappers, hoodlums and armed robbers who would usually unleash terror under the cover of the night.
Investigation by Daily Trust Saturday indicates that most of the solar-powered streetlights in the area have been vandalized and their panels and batteries removed by hooligans.
It was gathered that the streetlights were first installed in 2007. It was part of the city’s urban renewal project. A top government official who pleaded anonymity told Daily Trust Saturday that negligence and lack of maintenance on the side of the state government as well as alleged substandard quality of materials led to its gradual decay and vandalization.
An electrical engineer resident of Lafia, Mr Ibrahim Omale, who spoke to our correspondent, blamed the vandalism of the streetlights to nonchalant attitude of the state government.
“Vandals of the solar panels are having a field day in Lafia,” Omale affirmed. “The hoodlums use ladders to climb the 15 to 20 meters metal pipes. Then they unlock the padlocked battery cases or undo the metal bolts and knots and escape with the solar batteries. It is amazing how they have not been caught,” he concluded.
Another resident, Agbo Addah, informed our correspondent that the recent repairs on the affected streetlights have done nothing to bring Lafia out of darkness over the years.
“The streetlights have undergone series of repairs and replacements but they are not bright enough in the evenings because of the substandard nature of materials used.
“Being a public project, the contractors may have gone for obsolete materials and done a shoddy job. It is not that solar is not good but solar installations have to come with adequate maintenance and protection from vandals through security patrols.”
Our correspondent learnt that the streetlights were contracted out by the Nasarawa Urban Development Board and despite the huge budgets earmarked for the provision and maintenance of the facility; the citizens of the state are yet to feel the impact. This is inspite of over N60m spent so far on maintenance.
Daily Trust Saturday gathered that no fewer than 20 persons have been apprehended and reminded in the correctional service in Lafia over the stealing and sale of streetlight batteries.
Our correspondent learnt that most businessmen and women around the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology do not run their businesses longer than 9pm owing to the absence of streetlights.
A heavy-duty truck driver, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, who hails from Kano State, said most of the accidents that happen at night in Lafia metropolis are as a result of non-availability of streetlights.
A traveller from Enugu to Kaduna State, Mr John Daniel, told our correspondent that the car he boarded broke down at Maraba axis and before he knew it, some suspected armed robbers appeared from nowhere, took advantage of the darkness and robbed him of N2m. Other passengers in the same vehicle were also robbed of money totaling about N3m.
A business woman, Mrs Hanetu Jibrin, who runs a provision store at Total filling station said: “One by one, hoodlums came in the night and removed the solar batteries. The streetlights used to serve the entire area. They were erected around 2012 or 2013 but they did not work for more than a year before robbers started vandalizing them.
“The hoodlums may have a ready market for such stolen government property. I blame the governments for not taking proactive steps. Why erect such items and not have a security patrol to secure them?” she asked.
“Now, we no longer stay outside at nights because it is difficult to see beyond 20 meters from where you are. The entire town is dark and nobody feels safe,” she expressed worry.
Residents around Bukan-sidi area of Lafia local government also complained that miscreants often took the advantage of darkness to attack shops and houses along the road.
Mr Joseph Sunday, who lives in the area, told our correspondent that they have been frequently attacked by armed robbers in recent times.
“Due to non-availability of streetlights, the burglars come in and attack people and vanish.
“When there were functional streetlights, we could use the banks at will without entertaining any fear of kidnapping or robbery. Sometime in the past, robbers engaged the police in a gun battle under the cover of darkness at Zenith bank along Jos Road.”
Pedestrian bridges also alien to Lafia
Away from the dangers posed by the non-functioning streetlights, our correspondent also observed that the state capital has no pedestrian bridge for residents trying to cross over from one side of the road to the other.
Pedestrians including children have to make a dash across the road each time they wished to cross over to the other side.
A teacher from Ta’Al Modern School, Lafia, who preferred anonymity, explained that the sight of children being knocked down by impatient motorcyclists and tricycle riders was not uncommon in the town.
“It is very sad that after 20 years of creation, the state can’t boast of pedestrian bridges in Lafia,” he lamented. “But we need them badly because 80 per cent of pedestrians in the town are children. They hawk and run all sorts of errands for their parents.”
He, however, called on the state government to provide pedestrian bridges in strategic areas, saying this would go a long way in assisting to save the lives of children crossing the roads daily.
However, efforts to speak with the Managing Director of the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NUDB) Engr. Mohammed Wada-Yayaha, proved abortive as several messages sent to his mobile phone were not replied as at the time of filing this report.
Speaking on the situation in a telephone conversation in Lafia on Thursday, the Police Public Relation Officer ASP Ramhan Nansel, said in September 2017, 20 persons were apprehended, including those that bought stolen public properties from vandals, and were charged to court for prosecution.
The police spokesman said the arrests were made following series of complaints from the state government on the activities of vandals.
His words; “Due to the mechanism put in place by the command, the report of vandalism in the state has reduced to a barest minimum. So, apart from the 60 persons arrested and charged to court and prosecuted in connection with the vandalization of streetlights, no further arrest has been made to that effect.
“The command has deployed its personnel in and around major towns and communities where there are streetlights to avoid further vandalization,” he added.
Also speaking to our correspondent, the spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nasarawa State command, who gave his name as Nwankwo, warned road users in the state to always obey traffic rules and regulations, adding this would go a long way in preventing accidents across the state.
His words: “Stop over speeding and avoid unnecessary overtaking, particularly at dangerous bends. Stop smoking, drinking and avoid making phone calls while driving on the highway.”
