Lagos-Ibadan Longbridge Faces Darkness as More Streetlights Go Missing

Darkness has returned to the Longbridge area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. More solar-powered streetlights installed along the bridge have vanished, according to observations by PUNCH Metro.

This latest issue comes just weeks after PUNCH Metro reported that at least 168 solar-powered streetlights had been taken down by suspected vandals from the roughly five-kilometre bridge.

A visit to the bridge on Monday revealed that some of the streetlights that were still there during the last count had also been removed. Now, only a few of the lights remain along the route.

The Longbridge runs from the Warewa end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to the OPIC/Kara end of the highway.

During the previous visit, PUNCH Metro noticed that the streetlights had started disappearing gradually just months after they were put up in 2025. Several parts of the bridge were stripped of their lighting.

A count of the vandalised points from the OPIC end to Warewa showed around 168 solar-powered streetlights had been taken away.

The suspected vandals seemed to have carefully taken apart the installations, loosening the screws and nuts holding the poles to the bridge before removing them. Some areas had individual lights missing, while others had stretches of up to 300 metres without any installations. Some places also showed signs that the poles had been forcibly removed.

However, Monday’s visit showed that the vandalism had continued. Only about 20 streetlights were still standing roughly three kilometres into the bridge, with a few others left at both ends.

The bridge is surrounded by communities like Arepo, Warewa, Banku, Mokore, Arigbede, and Magboro.

A resident, Aminat Adio, told PUNCH Metro that the vandalism has continued despite worries about the missing streetlights.

"Nothing has changed since the first day they started to remove them. And that is why you no longer see many streetlights on the bridge," she said.

Adio mentioned that the identity of the vandals is still unknown to the residents. She called on the authorities to look into the ongoing removal of the streetlights.

Another resident, Bolu Adeogun, said the vandals seem to take advantage of the few pedestrians on the highway.

"They have continued to steal the streetlights because it is a highway where pedestrians could hardly be found. You will notice that the ones at both ends were not tampered with. That is because they are close to where there is frequent movement of people," he said.

At night, many parts of the bridge are now in darkness. The Longbridge has been known as a security risk, with reports of hoodlums attacking drivers whose cars break down on the bridge, especially at night.

A resident who identified himself as Moses expressed worry that the return of darkness could worsen the security situation.

"Before the installations, there had been cases of robbery, kidnapping, and attacks on motorists, especially those whose vehicles broke down. Now, that may likely return if something is not done," he said.

After the earlier report, PUNCH Metro saw police officers at a makeshift post on the bridge. The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Michael Komolafe, had told PUNCH Metro in the previous report that some suspected vandals were arrested before he took office.

When contacted on Monday, Komolafe said he was not aware that more streetlights had been taken. He expressed concern over the situation.

He mentioned that he had previously met with police officers at the site and that the Divisional Police Officer assured him that officers regularly patrolled the bridge.

Komolafe later learned that a police vehicle assigned for patrol had been in an accident, leaving one officer in the hospital.

Komolafe said this could have affected police presence on the bridge and allowed the vandals to continue their work. He said, "The last time, I met with the police where they were, and the DPO even assured us that their men were always on patrol here. So, I wasn’t expecting anything like that to happen."

He added, "I called him, and he told me that their vehicle was rammed and damaged, and one of the men who was in the vehicle had been in the hospital for two days. They had just discharged him."

Komolafe expressed concern about the vandalism of the streetlights, saying the vandals seemed to be getting bolder. He mentioned there was no immediate plan to replace the stolen streetlights.

"Efforts towards replacement are not there yet. I can’t say that yet. I have informed the headquarters anyway, but as for directives, I can’t say," he said.

He stressed that any plan to replace the lights must include measures to stop the vandalism.

"Even if there will be efforts to replace them, they must clearly speak on how to ensure that, even if you replace them, they will not be vandalised again. I think the first thing is to know how to ensure that vandalism is stopped. Otherwise, it’s just as if we are working for the vandals," he added.