LAGOS — The decomposing body of a young man was recovered from the Obalende Underbridge Canal on Lagos Island over the weekend, three days after he was declared missing.
The victim, identified as one of the men who reportedly lived under the bridge and engaged in illicit drug activity, was suspected to have fallen into the canal while under the influence of drugs.
A search team discovered the body, which had already begun to decompose, and alerted authorities. Officials of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), later retrieved the remains and conveyed them to the Lagos Island General Hospital mortuary.
Speaking anonymously, a LAGESC officer said the deceased had been a longtime resident under the bridge, often seen in the company of others involved in drug use.
“He was probably high on cannabis and slipped into the canal. Nobody noticed his disappearance immediately,” the official said. “It was only after three days that his body was found by a search team. We later moved it to the mortuary for proper handling.”
The incident occurred just days after the Lagos State Government issued a final eviction notice to squatters living under the Obalende Bridge and around the motor park. The area, long known for criminal activity and poor sanitation, is set to undergo a major environmental redevelopment.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the government has approved plans to redesign and rehabilitate the space into a modern, sustainable facility.
“We have approval to clean and transform the area into a functional, eco-friendly space,” Wahab said. “The new design will include a motor garage, public toilets, sleeping bays, and charging points for electric vehicles.”
He added that enforcement teams were already on-site to ensure compliance with the quit order and prepare the area for handover to a private company that has expressed interest in redeveloping it as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
The commissioner emphasized that the project aims not only to improve the city’s aesthetics and sanitation but also to dislodge criminal elements and drug users who have made the underbridge area unsafe for residents and commuters.
