The Lagos State Police have arrested 10 people suspected of stealing and damaging public property on the Lagos Coastal Road.
The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, shared this information on Wednesday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Ikeja.
He revealed that the suspects were picked up on August 17, 2026. This happened after police gathered intelligence during investigations into the ongoing vandalism on the road.
The CP mentioned that police recovered stolen iron materials from the suspects during the arrest. He named the suspects 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.
"Vandalised iron materials were recovered during the operation. Preliminary investigation shows that the suspects are linked to the ongoing vandalism of the Coastal Road infrastructure. They have also made statements about their involvement in the crime," said the police boss.
He added that the force is working with other authorities to ensure that those behind the vandalism and theft of public property are punished.
Tijani explained that the preliminary investigation indicates the suspects are tied to the ongoing vandalism on the Coastal Road. The suspects have provided statements about their involvement in the theft.
“The command is working with relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible for the ongoing destruction and theft of public infrastructure are brought to justice,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olufemi Dare, who spoke on behalf of the Minister of Works and Housing, Dave Umahi, talked about the damage to the coastal road project.
Dare reported that about 1,800 manhole covers have been stolen from the superhighway between January and August 2026. He explained that these covers are part of the underground drainage system built along the road. Vandals break the concrete covers to take the metal reinforcements inside.
He added that the vandals have also removed around 1,000 meters of the clear-view fence installed on both sides of the road to separate the highway from nearby communities.
He said, "If you go to Coastal Road, the drainage system is underground, but at the surface, we have manhole covers. We use these covers to protect the drainage. So far, between January and now, we have lost 1,800 of these manholes. The vandals break the concrete cover to take the iron inside.
"These manholes are small, less than one meter by one meter, and when they break the concrete, they take out the iron inside. That's not all. We have this clear view fence. If you go to Coastal Road, on both sides, it is made of iron to protect the community from the highway. These criminals have removed 1,000 meters, which is one kilometer, of this fence."
Dare added that about 75 directional signs along the road have also been cut down and stolen.
He expressed concern about the ongoing vandalism, saying it is ruining the purpose of the newly built road. He mentioned that the authorities are worried about the scale of theft and are working with the police to tackle the issue.
"We will not give up. We will not sit back while these criminals disturb what the federal government is doing. A lot of money is being put into that project. We all know it is in trillions, not billions, from here to Calabar. Some people are determined to vandalise this. It is unacceptable.
"I also want to thank the Lagos State Commissioner very highly for providing police officers and vehicles to help us. They deployed their police officers to ensure that these criminals are caught. They are there day and night on the road," he added.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇