Coastal highway guards arrest suspected vandals in Lagos

By Adebola Muili

The newly deployed Coastal Highway Guards have recorded their first major arrests along the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, apprehending suspected vandals accused of stealing and destroying sections of the road’s clear-view fence.

The suspects, whose identities were not immediately disclosed, were arrested during the guards’ initial operations on the coastal road and subsequently handed over to officers of the Lagos State Police Command for further investigation and necessary action.

The development was disclosed on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on New Media, Jubril Gawat, who said the guards had commenced operations on the highway.

Gawat said the guards had also begun other enforcement activities along the corridor, including the clearing of shanties and other unauthorised structures.

The arrests came four days after the Federal Government formally launched the Coastal Highway Guards on August 9, 2026, to protect the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway against vandalism and other illegal activities.

The guards, with an initial deployment of 40 personnel, are led by retired General Adekunle Shodunke and are expected to complement existing security agencies in safeguarding the highway and other critical infrastructure along the corridor.

Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the deployment became necessary because of growing acts of vandalism and other activities threatening the project.

Umahi expressed concern over the removal of construction materials and damage to sections of the highway, warning that such activities must stop.

The Minister said the guards would also ensure that motorcycles, tricycles and other prohibited activities do not operate on the coastal highway.

The Federal Government’s move to strengthen security on the corridor followed earlier reports of vandalism, including the theft of sections of the highway’s see-through fence and other infrastructure.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s major road projects, stretching about 750 kilometres from Lagos to Cross River State.

The latest arrests are expected to strengthen efforts to protect the highway from vandals and other unauthorised activities as construction progresses.