The Longbridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has been plunged into darkness once again as vandals have stolen more solar-powered streetlights, leaving only a handful of installations standing along the route. The bridge, which stretches from the Warewa end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to the OPIC/Kara end of the highway, had previously been reported to have had 168 solar-powered streetlights removed by suspected vandals. A follow-up visit to the bridge revealed that the vandalism had continued, with only about 20 streetlights still standing roughly three kilometres into the bridge.
The bridge is surrounded by host communities, including Arepo, Warewa, Banku, Mokore, Arigbede, and Magboro. Residents have expressed concern over the continued removal of the streetlights, despite concerns raised over the issue. Aminat Adio, a resident, stated that nothing had changed since the first day the streetlights began to disappear, and that the identity of the vandals remained unknown to residents. She urged the authorities to investigate the continued removal of the infrastructure.
Bolu Adeogun, another resident, suggested that the vandals appeared to take advantage of the relative absence of pedestrians on the highway. He noted that the ones at both ends of the bridge were not tampered with because they are close to where there is frequent movement of people. At night, most sections of the bridge are now plunged into darkness, raising concerns over the security situation.
The Longbridge has previously been identified as a security concern, with reports of hoodlums attacking motorists whose vehicles break down on the bridge, particularly at night. A resident who identified himself simply as Moses expressed concern that the return of darkness could worsen the security situation. He stated that before the installations, there had been cases of robbery, kidnapping, and attacks on motorists, especially those whose vehicles broke down.
Following the earlier report, police operatives were observed at a makeshift post provided for them on the bridge. The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Michael Komolafe, had told PUNCH Metro that some suspected vandals had been arrested before he assumed office. When contacted on Monday, Komolafe said he was unaware that more streetlights had been removed but expressed concern over the development.
Komolafe stated that he had previously met with police officers at the location and that the Divisional Police Officer had assured him that officers regularly patrolled the bridge. However, the DPO later informed him that a police vehicle deployed for patrol had been involved in a crash, leaving one of the officers hospitalised. Komolafe suggested that the incident might have affected police presence on the bridge and provided an opportunity for vandals to continue their activities.
Komolafe expressed concern over the extent of the damage, saying the perpetrators appeared to be becoming increasingly emboldened. He stated that no immediate plan had been confirmed to replace the vandalised streetlights, but stressed that any replacement programme would need to be accompanied by measures to prevent renewed vandalism.
Key points
- The Lagos-Ibadan Longbridge has been plunged into darkness once again as vandals steal more solar-powered streetlights.
- Residents have expressed concern over the continued removal of the streetlights, despite concerns raised over the issue.
- The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State has expressed concern over the development and stressed the need for measures to prevent renewed vandalism.
