Darkness has returned to the Longbridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following the continued removal of solar-powered streetlights installed along the major highway.
A fresh inspection by PUNCH Metro on Monday found that more of the streetlights had disappeared, leaving only a small number of the installations along the approximately five-kilometre stretch of the bridge.
The development comes weeks after PUNCH Metro reported that about 168 solar-powered streetlights had been removed from the bridge, allegedly by vandals.
The Longbridge connects the Warewa end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with the OPIC/Kara section of the road. The streetlights, which were installed in 2025, reportedly began disappearing only a few months after installation.
During the latest visit, only about 20 streetlights were still standing roughly three kilometres into the bridge, with a few others remaining around the two ends.
Earlier observations showed that the installations had been systematically dismantled. The screws and nuts holding the poles in place appeared to have been loosened before the structures were taken away. In some areas, individual lights had been removed, while other sections covering up to 300 metres had been stripped of streetlights altogether.
The bridge is surrounded by communities including Arepo, Warewa, Banku, Mokore, Arigbede and Magboro.
A resident, Aminat Adio, said the situation had remained unchanged since the streetlights began disappearing. She said residents were unaware of who was responsible and called for an investigation by the relevant authorities.
Another resident, Bolu Adeogun, suggested that the vandals may be exploiting the low presence of pedestrians on the highway. He noted that streetlights around the two ends of the bridge appeared less affected because those areas have more human activity.
With most parts of the bridge now dark at night, residents have raised concerns about security.
The Longbridge has previously been associated with attacks on motorists, particularly those whose vehicles break down on the highway at night. A resident identified as Moses expressed concern that the loss of the streetlights could expose motorists to renewed incidents of robbery, kidnapping and other attacks.
Following the earlier report, police operatives were observed at a temporary post established on the bridge.
The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Michael Komolafe, had earlier disclosed that some suspected vandals had been arrested before he assumed office.
However, when contacted on Monday, Komolafe said he was not aware that additional streetlights had been removed. He expressed concern about the development and said he had previously discussed security arrangements with police officers stationed on the bridge.
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer had assured him that officers regularly patrolled the area. However, the DPO later informed him that the police vehicle being used for patrol had been involved in an accident, with one officer hospitalised for two days.
Komolafe said the reduced police presence may have created an opportunity for vandals to continue removing the infrastructure.
He also expressed concern about the extent of the vandalism, saying the perpetrators appeared to be becoming increasingly confident.
The Federal Controller said there was currently no confirmed plan to replace the vandalised streetlights, although he had informed the relevant authorities at the headquarters.
He stressed that any replacement programme would have to include effective security measures to prevent the infrastructure from being vandalised again.
Source: PUNCH
