A major offensive by the Lagos Police Command has led to the discovery of a tunnel dug by criminals on the setbacks of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, where iron rods, cables, metals vandalised and manhole covers were concealed.

The discovery earned the command commendation from the Federal Government during a joint press briefing by the Lagos State Police Commissioner, CP Tijani Fatai and the Federal Ministry of Works, where details emerged about the scale of attacks on the multi-trillion naira 700-kilometre highway, a flagship infrastructure project of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olufemi Dare, who represented Minister Dave Umahi, disclosed that vandals stole 1,800 manhole covers, 1,000 metres (one kilometre) of Clear View security fencing and 75 directional road signs from the highway between January and August.

He said the vandals had grown so brazen that some allegedly dug a deep underground tunnel, which they used as a warehouse for materials stolen from the construction corridor.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, estimated to cost about ?15 trillion ($11 billion), is planned to stretch approximately 700 kilometres through nine coastal states, making it one of Africa’s most ambitious road infrastructure projects.

Dare said Umahi specifically directed him to convey the Federal Government’s appreciation to CP Fatai and his officers for intensifying security around the Coastal Highway and other strategic federal infrastructure in Lagos.

“The Honourable Minister sent me here this afternoon to join the CP and let Nigerians know some of the things going on along the Coastal Road and the Third Mainland Bridge.

“The Honourable Minister commended the CP for working hard, and officers working on the Coastal Road, the recently launched Coastal Guards, for the work they are doing. We’ve had many successes,” he said.

He explained that the vandals had repeatedly smashed concrete manhole covers to extract the reinforcing iron embedded in them. “The drainage system we have is an underground drainage system. At the ground level, we have manhole covers for the drainage. Between January and now, 1,800 of the manholes have been stolen.

“The vandals break the concrete covers and remove the reinforcement that’s in it. The manhole is about one metre by one metre; when they remove the concrete, they break it and remove the iron.”

He said criminals also targeted the Clear View fencing erected on both sides of the highway to separate adjoining communities from the carriageway, with 1,000 metres taken away since January, along with 75 directional signs meant to guide motorists, including visitors unfamiliar with Lagos roads.

Describing the Works Minister’s frustration, Dare said the Federal Government had effectively “declared war on vandalism,” quoting Umahi as saying, “there’s madness in Lagos and we must meet it with higher madness,” and that “the Coastal Road should not be a haven for criminals.”

Giving his account, CP Fatai disclosed that sustained intelligence operations by the Command led to the arrest of 10 suspects on August 17 in connection with repeated vandalism along the Coastal Highway. He identified them 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, and the suspects, according to police, have made statements regarding their alleged involvement.

“The Command is working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible for the continued destruction and theft of public infrastructure are brought to justice,” Fatai said.

The crackdown also extended to the Third Mainland Bridge. Fatai announced the arrest of 28-year-old Chidiebere Ochiri, accused of stealing government-installed CCTV cables, copper wires and iron fittings from the bridge. Police said Ochiri allegedly admitted during interrogation to vandalising the infrastructure for several months and selling the copper wires to scavengers and scrap dealers for about N12,000 per kilogramme. A quantity of copper wire was recovered as an exhibit, and investigators are pursuing an alleged accomplice while tracing the scrap dealers said to be receiving the stolen materials.

Fatai said the Coastal Highway and Third Mainland Bridge operations formed part of a broader August offensive in which the Command arrested 39 suspects for alleged offences ranging from vandalism and stealing to robbery and cultism. Items recovered included vandalised iron and cables, 14 locally made pistols, one double-barrel gun, a live cartridge, seven cutlasses, 16 knives, 13 bags of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, a POS machine, assorted charms, a laptop and a truck loaded with cartons of spaghetti believed to have been diverted.

Among the other arrests, a 22-year-old suspected robber was picked up in Aguda during a stop-and-search operation, with a substance suspected to be marijuana, a locally made pistol and a cartridge allegedly recovered from him. He reportedly told investigators the pistol belonged to one Emir, leading police to a hotel room where a double-barrel gun was recovered; the said Emir is now wanted by police.

In cult-related operations, a 35-year-old suspect known as “Shifon” was arrested in Aguda, Surulere, with a locally made pistol recovered from his residence, while two suspected cultists, aged 28 and 33, were arrested at a dumpsite in Isolo, where a single-barrel pistol was recovered. Three others, aged 33, 38 and 42, were arrested in Ijeshatedo following a distress call about a gathering of about 50 persons allegedly linked to the Eiye Confraternity, said to have assembled to initiate new members; two cutlasses and a battle axe were recovered from the scene.

Two suspected armed robbers, aged 19 and 25, were also arrested over allegations of using firearms to rob residents, with two locally made pistols recovered.

Separately, police arrested a trailer driver after intelligence indicated a trailer loaded with cartons of spaghetti was parked in front of a church in Egbeda, with mini-trucks allegedly evacuating some of the goods. An Acura SUV allegedly used by one of the fleeing suspects was recovered, and a suspect was later arrested through intelligence-led follow-up. Investigations are ongoing to establish the ownership and intended destination of the goods.

Fatai said the results reflected the Command’s strategy of intelligence-led policing, surveillance, targeted raids, stop-and-search operations and rapid response to public tips, and singled out the attacks on the Coastal Highway and Third Mainland Bridge as particularly troubling.

“The recent vandalism of the Third Mainland Bridge and the newly constructed Coastal Road is particularly concerning, as such acts not only cause significant losses but also threaten major government projects designed to improve transportation, connectivity and economic activities,” he said. “The Command will not allow criminals to undermine these developmental efforts.”

He vowed to intensify collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works and other stakeholders to secure the Coastal Highway, bridges and other critical infrastructure across Lagos, urging residents around major projects to report suspicious movements. “Let me reiterate that Lagos will not be a safe haven for criminals,” he said. “Whether involved in vandalism, robbery, stealing, cultism, kidnapping or any other criminal activity, we will continue to identify, disrupt and dismantle their operations.”

Fatai assured that all 39 suspects would undergo diligent investigation and that those found culpable would be prosecuted according to the law. (The Nation)

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