Thieves make off with 168 roadside solar lamps along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway's Longbridge section

A staggering 168 solar-powered streetlights have been stolen from the Longbridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a discovery made by PUNCH Metro, with the lights having been installed in 2025 to improve safety and illumination for motorists, particularly at night.

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These streetlights, spanning approximately five kilometres along the bridge, began to disappear just months after their installation, with a visit to the bridge on Tuesday revealing that several sections had been stripped of their street-lighting infrastructure.

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A count of the vandalised points from the OPIC end of the bridge towards Wawa revealed that about 168 solar-powered streetlights had been removed, with the suspected vandals having carefully dismantled the lights by loosening screws and nuts before carting them away.

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The vandals' methods were meticulous, as evidenced by the fact that some lights had been removed at intervals, while others were vandalised along stretches of up to 300 metres, with some points showing signs that the poles had been forcibly removed.

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The Longbridge is a critical route, carrying heavy vehicular traffic daily, with thousands of motorists using it to connect Lagos to other parts of the country, and its notoriety for attacks by hoodlums, particularly at night, makes the disappearance of the streetlights a significant concern.

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The installation of the streetlights was meant to provide illumination and help reduce such incidents, but motorists and business owners have expressed concern that the gradual disappearance of the solar-powered streetlights is returning the busy route to darkness and exposing road users to greater risks.

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A motorist, Segun, lamented the systematic theft of the streetlights, stating that the removal was carried out carefully and is gradually turning the place back to its former state, making it difficult to see properly, especially when driving at night.

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Segun urged the relevant authorities to act quickly, warning that the continued removal of the lights could further expose motorists to criminal attacks, given the bridge's history of attacks on motorists whose vehicles develop faults.

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Dade Aina, a business owner at Wawa, also lamented the removal of a street light near an underpass linking both sides of the area, saying that the place has been left dark since the removal, making it easier for criminals to operate without being noticed.

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PUNCH Metro observed that the vandalism might have been carried out gradually, as some poles were found with only one nut instead of the two used to fasten them, suggesting that the vandals might have initially loosened one nut before returning later to remove the second and cart away the poles.

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Labake Aliu, another business owner, suspected that the theft took place mostly at night, given that the removals were often discovered in the morning, and no one knew exactly when they were removed.

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Some police officers were previously seen occupying a makeshift post along the Longbridge inward Lagos, but the disappearance of the lights remains a concern despite their presence, with a motorist stating that the authorities need to find out who is behind the theft and stop them before all the lights disappear.

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Motorists called for increased surveillance around the bridge and the prompt replacement of the stolen street lights, urging the relevant authorities to intensify efforts to curb the activities of scavengers and other vandals targeting public infrastructure along the expressway.

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The development has raised concerns about the activities of scavengers who reportedly target public infrastructure for recyclable materials and scrap, with the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, confirming the theft on Wednesday.

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Adeleye stated that some vandals responsible for the act had been arrested and charged to court, adding that efforts were ongoing to forestall recurrence, and that the police could confirm the arrests, which were made before he resumed office as the acting controller a month ago.

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The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, also confirmed to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday that suspected vandals operating along the axis were arrested, saying that the suspects were arrested while allegedly vandalising critical infrastructure and had subsequently been charged to court to face the full weight of the law.

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Babaseyi stated that the command remained committed to protecting critical infrastructure across the state, urging residents to promptly report suspicious activities to the police, and saying that the command's motto was "see something, say something, stay safe".

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The development comes amid a recent incident in which unidentified scavengers allegedly vandalised the pillars supporting the bridge linking Alakija and FESTAC in Lagos State by breaking the concrete structures to remove embedded iron rods.

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The spokesperson for the State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, said efforts were ongoing to sensitise the public about vandalism and apprehend perpetrators, stating that it was a recurring issue carried out by vandals who prioritise their selfish interests over the safety of others.