No fewer than 168 solar-powered streetlights installed along the Longbridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have been stolen by suspected vandals, raising concerns over the safety of motorists using the busy route at night.
The streetlights were installed in 2025 along the approximately five-kilometre stretch of the bridge to improve visibility and enhance security for road users.
However, several of the lights have gradually disappeared, with observations showing that vandals had removed streetlights from different sections of the bridge.
A count of the affected points from the OPIC end towards Wawa indicated that about 168 solar-powered streetlights had been removed.
The suspected vandals appeared to have carefully dismantled the installations by loosening the screws and nuts holding the poles before taking them away. In some areas, several lights were removed across stretches of up to 300 metres.
The development has worried motorists and business owners who fear that the return of darkness could make the area more vulnerable to criminal attacks.
A motorist identified as Segun said the theft appeared to have been carried out systematically, warning that darkness on the bridge could make it difficult for motorists to see obstacles, people or suspicious movements.
A business owner at Wawa, Dade Aina, also expressed concern over the removal of a streetlight near an underpass, saying the area had become dark and more vulnerable, particularly when vehicles break down at night.
Another business owner, Labake Aliu, said the vandalism was suspected to take place mostly at night because the stolen lights were often discovered missing when people resumed business the following morning.
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The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, confirmed the theft and disclosed that some suspects had been arrested and charged to court.
He said authorities were also putting measures in place to prevent further vandalism.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, also confirmed the arrest of suspected vandals operating along the axis.
He said the suspects were allegedly caught vandalising critical infrastructure and had been charged to court.
Motorists have called for increased surveillance and the immediate replacement of the stolen streetlights, while urging authorities to intensify efforts to prevent the vandalism of public infrastructure along the expressway.
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