LAGOS — No fewer than 168 solar-powered streetlights installed along the Longbridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have been stolen by suspected vandals, plunging parts of the busy route into darkness and heightening safety concerns for motorists .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the streetlights were installed in 2025 along the approximately five-kilometre bridge to illuminate the stretch and improve safety for motorists, particularly at night .
CDA News Nigeria reports that a count of vandalised points from the OPIC end of the bridge towards Wawa showed that about 168 solar-powered streetlights had been removed . The suspected vandals appear to have carefully dismantled the lights, loosening screws and nuts used to secure the poles before carting them away . Some poles were found with only one nut instead of two, suggesting the vandals may have loosened them before returning later to complete the theft .
Motorists and business owners have expressed concern that the disappearance of the lights is returning the bridge to darkness and exposing road users to greater risks . The Longbridge is notorious for attacks on motorists whose vehicles break down, particularly at night . A motorist, Segun, said, “This is very sad. The theft was carefully carried out… Darkness makes it difficult to see properly, especially when you are driving at night” .
A business owner at Wawa, Dade Aina, lamented that the removal of lights near an underpass has left the area vulnerable, stating, “When a vehicle breaks down here at night, the driver is already vulnerable… If criminals can attack or kidnap people there, how much more when there are no streetlights?” .
The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, confirmed the theft, stating that some suspects had been arrested and charged to court . The Ogun State Police Command also confirmed the arrest of suspected vandals operating along the axis and urged residents to report suspicious activities .
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