- Police arrested 10 suspects over Coastal Road vandalism
- Authorities recovered stolen iron materials
- About 1,800 manhole covers have reportedly been stolen
The Lagos State Police Command has detained 10 people suspected of involvement in the repeated theft and destruction of infrastructure along the newly built Lagos Coastal Road.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the Commissioner of Police Fatai Tijani announced the arrests on Wednesday during a briefing and parade of suspects at the command headquarters in Ikeja.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Tinubu Directs Installation of 3,700 Telecom Towers Across Nigeria
- Alara of Ilara Praises Sanwo-Olu, LASU Staff’s Dedication To Progress
- Burna Boy, Tems Bag Nominations at 2026 MTV VMAs
According to Tijani, the suspects were apprehended on August 17 following intelligence-led investigations into the continued vandalism of facilities along the road. Police said several stolen iron components were recovered during the operation.
The suspects were identified as Courage Ogbemudiah, 19; Michael Janes, 25; Muhammed Mustapha, 25; Muyideen Ola, 32; Emmanuel James, 18; Tadious Nanius, 28; Anthony Nucase, 23; Makinde Muize, 30; Bolaji Raji, 30; and Waliu Kabiru, 28.
The police commissioner said preliminary findings linked the suspects to the repeated attacks on the coastal road infrastructure. He added that the suspects had provided statements to investigators concerning their alleged roles in the offences.
Tijani said the command was collaborating with relevant government authorities to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for the theft and destruction of public property.
In a separate case, police arrested a 28-year-old man, Chidiebere Ochiri, over the alleged theft of cables connected to government-installed CCTV cameras and other metal components on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Tijani said Ochiri admitted during interrogation to participating in the vandalism over several months. According to the commissioner, the suspect allegedly sold stolen copper wires to scavengers and scrap dealers for about N12,000 per kilogramme, while a quantity of copper wire was recovered from him.
The police said efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest others allegedly connected to the operation.
Meanwhile, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olufemi Dare, disclosed that the coastal road project had suffered extensive damage from vandals.
Dare, who represented the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, said approximately 1,800 manhole covers had been removed from the highway between January and August 2026.
He explained that the vandals break the concrete covers protecting the underground drainage system to extract the metal reinforcement inside them.
Dare also revealed that about 1,000 metres of clear-view fencing installed along both sides of the road had been removed.
In addition, approximately 75 road-direction signs were reportedly cut down and stolen.
The Federal Controller expressed concern that the scale of vandalism was threatening the integrity and purpose of the major road project, which forms part of the federal government’s coastal highway development.
He said the authorities would continue working with the police to protect the infrastructure and prevent further losses.
Dare commended the Lagos State Police Command for deploying personnel and vehicles to patrol the road and assist in efforts to apprehend those responsible for the vandalism
FURTHER READING
